KUALA LUMPUR – The tabling of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill that was scheduled on 11 April has been postponed again.
According to the Minister at Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the Cabinet did not agree to the tabling of the proposed Bill, thus, it has to be postponed.
The Bill will be sent back for more studies on the definition of ‘party-hopping’.
“Yes, it has been deferred,” he said as reported by The Star.
However, Wan Junaidi said that the special Dewan Rakyat sitting on 11 April will be carried on with the debate of the amendment of constitution to facilitate the tabling of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
The Bill was scheduled to be tabled on 24 March, the last day of the first session of Dewan Rakyat sitting this year.
The constitutional amendments will require a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier, FMT news portal reported that the Cabinet has requested for the revision of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill. According to its source, the government should focus on several issues, including the definition of hopping-party.
“It encompasses of an elected person who won (the election) as an independent rep who would be considered as hopping party if he joins a political party or an MP joining another party after he or she is sacked from his or her party,” said the source.
An unnamed Minister said that the government did not plan to ditch the Bill. Amendment on Article 10 of the Federal Constitution must be conducted first before the government can table the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
“We are moving towards that direction. The people are attracted by the Anti-Party Hopping Bill and they forgot that we need to amend the Federal Constitution first.
“When it is passed, then, we can introduce the Anti-Party Hopping Bill,” he said.
According to that source, Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will chair the meeting on the Bill this Sunday and all Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators are invited to the meeting. -MalaysiaGazette
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