ROS to study party constitutions after passage of anti-hopping bill, says Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR: The Registrar of Societies (ROS) will study the constitutions of all political parties following the approval of the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 on the provisions of banning MPs from switching parties in the Dewan Rakyat Thursday (July 28).

"ROS will study the constitutions of existing political parties,” Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (pic) said in a brief media conference in Parliament here Thursday.

Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, when winding up the debate on the bill, said there was a need to amend the constitutions of political parties to ensure they are in line with the Bill.

This is because the Federal Constitution amendment provides that a member of the Dewan Rakyat with conflicting principles with the party can cause his membership to be dropped based on the party’s constitution, as the individual can be considered as switching party and needed to vacate his seat.

If the party's constitution provides that the action of a member of Dewan Rakyat who does not follow the party's principles or violates the whip's instructions will cause him or her to no longer be a member of the said political party.

Meanwhile, Hamzah who is also Bersatu secretary-general explained the actions of MPs from the party in not taking part in the debate of the bill as many MPs are ministers and deputy ministers.

"I dare to say outside the Dewan Rakyat (not during the debate session) as many among us are frontbench (members of government administration). This is a problem for us...we are only left with two members (who are non-government administration).

"Many internet users questioned us (Bersatu MPs) but I asked, for example, Beaufort MP (Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun) to be patient (not to debate) as some parties may use various analogies to label us,” he said.

He said the presence and support given by Bersatu MPs through the bloc vote was evidence that they respected each law enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

In the media conference, Hamzah was joined by 10 Bersatu MPs including International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohammed, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Parliament) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

Based on the list of 54 MPs who debated on the bill, there were no Bersatu representatives who took part. - Bernama