Sitting called off to fine tune amendments

KUALA LUMPUR: The special one-day Dewan Negara sitting today to amend the Constitution to pave the way for the anti-hopping law has been called off.

The notice was issued by the Dewan Negara secretary yesterday afternoon.

In it, Muhd Sujairi Abdullah said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is head of the House, had informed Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim that the special sitting had been called off.

He said this followed a lower House’s decision to refer the constitutional amendments to a parliamentary special select committee for further scrutiny.

Earlier yesterday, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar tabled the Constitution (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 2022 for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.The amendments sought to introduce a new Clause 3A to Article 10(1) of the Constitution to allow for the introduction of laws to prohibit party-hopping.

Article 10(1) guarantees freedom of association.

Although debates were held on party hopping, the House did not vote on the amendments.

Wan Junaidi said the decision to defer voting on the amendments was made following a meeting chaired between Ismail Sabri and Pakatan Harapan’s top leadership yesterday morning.

Wan Junaidi said the anti-hopping Bill was expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during a special sitting after Hari Raya. The Prime Minister would decide on the new date.