Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on February 4, 2026, the Tasek Gelugor MP said he had personally reiterated the invitation during a brief encounter with Rafizi at the Dewan Rakyat earlier that morning. The approach followed an official letter sent the previous week, formally proposing cross-party cooperation to bring the bill back before the House.
Wan Saiful said the proposal reflected a genuine desire to see the reform move forward and expressed hope that Rafizi would respond positively. He indicated that the offer was not symbolic, noting his willingness to support the initiative as a co-sponsor should the former economy minister decide to reintroduce the bill.
The invitation follows Wan Saiful’s speech in Parliament in late January 2026, during which he publicly urged Rafizi to revive the legislation. The move was accompanied by written communication to reinforce the seriousness of the offer and to signal openness to bipartisan engagement on governance reforms.
Wan Saiful also said he had conveyed his readiness to assist should Rafizi face procedural or practical constraints. This included an offer to share and refine the existing draft of the bill to facilitate its reintroduction, underscoring a collaborative rather than partisan approach.
The proposed legislation has its roots in a bill tabled by Rafizi in September 2015, known as the Separation of Offices (Prime Minister and Minister of Finance) Act 2015. At the time, the bill was rejected by the then Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat on procedural grounds, preventing it from being debated. The bill sought to limit Cabinet members to a single ministerial post and required the Prime Minister to appoint a finance minister from among Members of Parliament or Senators, rather than holding the portfolio concurrently.
The renewed push comes amid broader discussions on political reform and executive accountability. On January 20, 2026, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin signalled readiness to support proposals to cap the prime ministerial term at two terms. The opposition’s position also included a provision preventing the Prime Minister from simultaneously serving as Finance Minister, aligning closely with the objectives of the earlier bill.
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