First step to anti-hopping law: Amendment to be tabled in Parliament on April 11

PETALING JAYA: Constitutional amendments to be tabled and debated at the special parliamentary sitting on Monday (April 11) will pave the way for laws against party hopping to be enacted.

According to a proposed Bill sighted by The Star, the government is seeking to introduce a new Clause 3(A) to amend Article 10(1) of the Federal Constitution under the Constitution (Amendment) Bill to be tabled on Monday.

The proposed Clause 3(A) in the amendment will allow the enactment of laws banning elected representatives in Parliament and state assemblies from switching allegiances.

The explanatory statement of the Bill read that it "...seeks to introduce a new Clause (3A) into the Federal Constitution to enable restrictions on the right to form associations relating to memberships in a political party of members of the House of Representatives and members of the state legislative assembly to be imposed by federal law."

Several MPs, when contacted by The Star, also confirmed receiving a copy of the proposed Bill late Thursday (April 7) night, but did not comment further.

The anti-party hopping Bill was initially scheduled to be tabled on March 24, and was then postponed to a special parliamentary sitting next Monday (April 11).

However, on Thursday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar announced that amendments to the Constitution will be carried out first to pave the way for the tabling of a separate anti-party hopping Bill.

Wan Junaidi also said that both government and the Opposition have agreed to a new special parliamentary sitting to table, debate and approve the proposed anti-party hopping Bill.

The new date of the special parliamentary sitting will be decided by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, he added.

The Pakatan Harapan presidential council had stated that the new dates for the special sitting to table the anti-party hopping Bill should be announced in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.