Azalina: Recall vote is the ‘best remedy’

PETALING JAYA: Allowing for a recall vote is the “best remedy” to end party hopping by elected representatives, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic).

The former Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker said such an election mechanism would put the power in the hands of voters to decide the fate of party hoppers.

“Recall is the best remedy.

“Voters will decide if the elected representatives stay or go. Empower voters, not political parties, not government.

“That’s real democracy,” the Pengerang MP said in a tweet yesterday morning.

Under a recall vote, electorates in an affected constituency will have a mechanism for a recall vote if an elected representative defects to a different party, triggering a by-election in the process.

Azalina, who is special adviser to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, had tweeted on Saturday night the dangers of amending Article 10(1) of the Federal Constitution – on freedom of association – without first clearly spelling out the effect of the amendments.

She added that the proposed amendments were too wide and posed a danger as they could be later challenged in court.

She also noted the amendments should also consider Article 48 of the Constitution which deals with the disqualification of an MP.

Last September, Azalina submitted a notice of motion to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun to table a Private Member’s Bill to push for a Recall Bill to be enacted.

The government through a bi-partisan committee sought to tackle the issue of party hopping which has plagued the nation since the 14th General Election.

Since the last general election in May 2018, a total of 39 MPs have either switched camps or left to form new parties.

This has resulted in several changes of administration at federal and state levels, leading to political instability.

The anti-hopping Bill was supposed to have been tabled on the last day of the Dewan Rakyat meeting on March 24 but was postponed to April 11.

On Thursday, the government announced that it will table amendments to the Constitution on April 11 in Dewan Rakyat and April 12 in Dewan Negara.

The last minute postponements were due to differences among some MPs, including on the recall vote and the definition of anti-hopping.

There has been pressure from the Opposition MPs and government backbenchers, including civil society, for the proposed anti-hopping law to be tabled during Dewan Rakyat’s meeting last month.

This is to keep in line with the MOU signed between the government and Pakatan last September to initiate political reforms before July 31 this year.