Change law to prevent MPs from vacating seats and triggering by-elections says PAS

KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS top leadership believes that laws need to be amended to prevent people’s representatives from simply vacating their seats to trigger by-elections meant only to realise a politician’s ambitions.

Deputy President Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said by-elections should only be held when there is a real need, such as the death or bankruptcy of a representative.

“We don’t see the need for the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election especially when the country is going through some financial problems, that even BR1M had to be cancelled,” he said after attending 59th PAS Youth Congress here.

The Port Dickson by-election was called after its Member of Parliament Danyal Balagopal Abdullah vacated the seat to make way for PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as a step for him to return to the Parliament.

It is part of the transition of power agreed to by Pakatan Harapan leaders early this year between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar.

“Soon, everyone would want to make way for their uncles and this would only create chaos,” said Tuan Ibrahim.

He said even if people's representatives believe that they have a right to hold on to or give up a seat, preventive measures would still need to be taken so that Government funds and the people’s time are not wasted for unnecessary by-elections.

He said there should be also be laws against party hopping.

“It can be considered treason for a representative who won under the ticket of a certain party to leave for another and we hope the Government will consider a law to stop this,” he said.

Also at the congress were PAS Youth Chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi and his counterpart from Umno Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.