Stop all the dilly-dallying and just table anti-hopping Bill, please

I REFER to the reports, “New date for anti-hopping Bill,” and “Delay or no delay, leaders say Bill needs to be tabled” (The Star, April 8; online at https://bit.ly/3NXL4zy and https://bit.ly/35Sgy97).

Why is it so difficult to put right what is so obviously wrong? Is it so hard to see that party hopping is intrinsically evil and a terrible betrayal of the trust voters put on the candidates they chose to represent them in Parliament and state legislative assemblies?

Malaysians are obviously fully aware of what party hopping is by now, so why must more time be wasted to do further studies on the definition or on arguing about matters involving freedom of association in the Federal Constitution?

In general, Malaysians choose representatives to legislative bodies based on the party they represent and not on the merits of the individual candidates. It therefore stands to reason that those who contest under the banner of a certain political party should remain loyal to that party after they are elected.

Freedom of association is a totally different matter from party hopping, so those who are attempting to bring the constitutional amendment argument into the issue are just trying to complicate matters. They are creating a convoluted mess, resulting in unnecessary delays in the tabling of the Bill.

What guarantee is there that a two-thirds majority can be obtained to make a constitutional amendment? Voices against this are already being raised. MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon, for example, has stated that MCA “was not keen on amendments to the Federal Constitution. We are concerned that amending will alter the spirit of the Constitution.”

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Parliament and Law) has expressed his frustrations after working on this Bill for over eight months.

Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz has rightfully stated that,“It should not be up to one or two ministers to decide when the Bill should be tabled unless they themselves are guilty of being party hoppers previously. No right-minded MPs would be against the Bill unless they intend to switch parties in the future.”

No government can be stable if it can collapse at any time due to party hopping. Moreover, party hopping encourages unscrupulous wheeling and dealing, resulting in corruption, betrayal of the voters’ trust and making a mockery of the rule of law.

The much awaited tabling of this Bill has already been put off twice due to vague and dubious logic, resulting in disappointment and disgust from the public and respected MPs from both sides of the political divide.

Please let there be no more delays.

DR PETER J PEREIRA

Petaling Jaya