Penang is mulling a law to prevent state legislative assemblypersons from defecting mid-term.

Speaking to reporters in Penang today, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said such an act was “politically immoral”.

Lim’s announcement follows Gerakan human rights and legal bureau chief Baljit Singh’s challenge to the former to state his stand on the political developments in Sabah.

Thus far, two BN MPs and one senator in Sabah have quit the coalition and pledge to support Pakatan Rakyat.

It is uncertain if Lim’s administration would be able to pass the bill - which he dubbed the "anti-hopping law" - before the general election as the state legislative assembly would only be sitting in November.

“We will be discussing the proposal at the next state exco meeting,” Lim said, adding that the exco will also have to consult the state legal adviser.

Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, has been mostly silent about PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s vigorous attempts to court BN MPs to join Pakatan.  

But his party colleague Karpal Singh, the party chairperson, has consistently been against such practices.

Karpal argued that when an elected representative defects, he is effectively betraying his constituents.

He said DAP was confident of getting PAS’ support for a law to prevent such practices because Kelantan, under PAS’ rule, had once passed a similar law.

However, the law was declared unconstitutional by the courts because the federal constitution guarantees freedom of association.