Don’t rush into anti-hopping law and cause long-term damage to Constitution

THE Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) strongly opposes the proposed amendment to Article 10, which touches on our fundamental liberty to freedom of association, that is to be tabled at Parliament tomorrow (April 11).

While it is undeniable that there is a need to legislate against rampant party-hopping, we cannot enact bad laws that have the potential to undermine fundamental liberties and dismantle Constitutional protection of healthy inter-party competition and necessary checks and balances in a democracy. And while anti-hopping laws should be enacted before the next general election, they should not be enacted in a rush simply to satisfy political bargains made between today's political parties. The consequences of their self-interests today will reverberate for generations to come.