An anti-party hopping law to deter lawmakers from defecting is not in the works, said de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong.

"The Election Commission is of the view that, for now, all citizens are guaranteed freedom of association.

"This is in line with Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution," Liew said in a written parliamentary reply today.

He added that the Federal Court ruling in the Nordin Salleh case regarding freedom of association still applies.

Liew was responding to a question by Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Kepong) on whether an anti-party hopping law would be pursued.

Nordin was a Kelantan state assemblyperson who defected from PAS to BN in 1992.

The Federal Court ruled that PAS' own anti-party hopping law violated Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guaranteed freedom of association.

The May 9 general election, which saw Umno lose power for the first time in the country’s history, has seen six defections from Umno.

The latest defection was by Labuan MP Rozlan Isli, who quit Umno with the intent of joining Warisan, a Sabah party in partnership with the Pakatan Harapan federal government.