Azalina meets Malacca governor to discuss anti-hopping law
As Malacca heads towards a state election prompted by political defections, the MP for Pengarang, Azalina Othman Said, held a meeting with the state’s Governor Mohd Ali Rustam yesterday to discuss new laws to address turncoats.
Apart from establishing an anti-hopping law at the national level, she said the law should be enacted at the state level as well...
As Malacca heads towards a state election prompted by political defections, the MP for Pengarang, Azalina Othman Said, held a meeting with the state’s Governor Mohd Ali Rustam yesterday to discuss new laws to address turncoats.
Apart from establishing an anti-hopping law at the national level, she said the law should be enacted at the state level as well.
“This is because it is important to ensure candidates respect the voters who had come out to cast their ballots, strengthen Malaysia’s democracy and preserve the nation’s political and economic stability.
“As such, I have humbly expressed my wish to propose that the Party-Hopping Regulation and Political Accountability Bill (hybrid bill) should be implemented in Malacca, with consideration and permission by the governor,” Azalina said of her meeting with Mohd Ali in a Facebook post yesterday.
She said she has offered her services and those of other groups involved in drafting the bill, if it is necessary for enacting a similar law for Malacca.
“I am confident that the hybrid bill will be a catalyst for political stability in Malacca because it provides a mechanism for preventing elected representatives from defecting and giving a say to voters,” she added.
The Malacca election is has been fixed to be held on Nov 20, while Nov 8 will be the day for the nomination of candidates.
A recurring problem since the 2018 general election
The election was called following an unsuccessful coup led by former chief minister Idris Haron and three other assemblypersons, which subsequently led to the State Legislative Assembly being dissolved on Oct 4.
Political defections have been a recurring problem since the 2018 general election, and have led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government in 2020 and several state governments, as well as the Sabah state election last year.
Azalina, who is also the prime minister’s special adviser for law and human rights, had previously urged Malacca voters to vote for parties that support her hybrid bill.
Among others, the bill calls for voters to petition the Election Commission to sack elected representatives that defect from their parties to make way for a by-election.
The bill, however, would allow voters the option to reject the petition if a majority is in favour of their representative changing allegiances - and provide for such representatives to be retained.
