New anti-hop law will reassure people that their vote matters, says Azalina

PENGERANG: Enacting the anti-party hopping law will be a progressive step for Malaysia and its people before facing the 15th General Election (GE15), says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

The Pengerang MP, who is a member of the Parliament Special Select Committee on anti-party hopping, added that she sees the anti-party hopping bill as something positive especially under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government.

"We must have a realisation in facing GE15 that we must provide the voters with a commitment that each one of their votes matters.

“We do not want them to vote for this candidate that comes from this party but later on the candidate jumps to another party, which the people did not vote for.

"This is why the government is very serious in addressing the issue at hand," she said when met after organising a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house under her constituent at Bandar Penawar here on Friday (May 13).

She also said that during the special select committee meeting held on Thursday (May 12), the government appeared to have agreed to several suggestions made by the committee.

Azalina added that this included her suggestion to hold recall elections when an MP jumped to a new party and she would be inserting it under a Private Member’s Bill during the next Parliament sitting session.

"This is to address party hopping so that voters get who they voted for, but if their elected representative vacates their seat it would be contested again.

“To me, this is a much fairer approach so that voters do not feel that they have been cheated," she said, adding that she was confident that the anti-party hopping law would be approved prior to GE15.