AMENDMENT TO ANTI-PARTY HOPPING LAW REQUIRES THOROUGH BIPARTISAN DISCUSSION, AGREEMENT - AZALINA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- The amendment to the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No. 3) 2022 (Act A1663), better known as the anti-party hopping law, requires thorough bipartisan discussion and agreement.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, said that the Legal Affairs Division has no problem and is ready to propose amendments to the act, as stated by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on Friday.

“Now the government has agreed to look at that (amendment). There should not be any problem if the Prime Minister directs me in the Cabinet meeting to bring a note in terms of the new policy, I’m prepared,” she told reporters when met at the Parliament building, here, today.

On Friday, Anwar reportedly said that the government is open to holding discussions to fix any loopholes.

Azalina said that previously she had also proposed a 'recall remedy' to be included in the act, but the matter was not agreed to by the government, led by Bersatu at the time.

“We did mention ‘recall', and also about the issue of party members being disciplined and sacked, what are the consequences? The government at that time did not want to address these issues yet,” she said.

On June 20, Bersatu submitted a notice to the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, requesting that the six parliamentary seats of its people's representatives, who previously supported the Prime Minister, be vacated.

The notice was submitted based on the provisions of Article 49A(1)(a)(ii) of the Constitution, which states that a member of the House of Representatives shall cease to be a member of the House, and his seat shall become vacant when he ceases to be a member of a political party.

However, Johari, on July 11, reiterated that the decision regarding the status of six former Bersatu MPs, who declared their support for the government, remains, as the seats are not deemed vacant, causing the opposition MPs to walk out of the Dewan Rakyat in protest.

The six MPs are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang).

-- BERNAMA