'Anti-hopping' bill passed sans objection

PARLIAMENT | The constitutional amendment bill aimed at discouraging MPs from switching parties was passed by the Dewan Rakyat today.

When the bloc vote was called, 209 voted in favour and none against. There were 11 absentees.

The result far exceeded the two-thirds requirement for a constitutional amendment.

However, the conclusion to the passage of the Constitution (Amendment) (No 3) Bill was with some controversy.

While MPs have been debating the bill since yesterday afternoon, Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun only allowed Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to speak for around 40 minutes before calling for a vote.

Azhar said he needed to end proceedings by 5.30pm to allow MPs to return to their constituencies. Mukhriz Mahathir (Pejuang - Jerlun) objected.

"This is an important constitutional bill. Let us hear from the (law) minister," he said.

Wan Junaidi explained he had seven pages to go but did not object. He said his answers to questions raised by the MPs would be handed out in writing.

No other MPs objected and allowed the voting to proceed.

The bill will now be taken to the Dewan Negara. Once passed, it can be gazetted as early as August.

The key feature of the bill is that it sought to introduce Article 49A, which stipulates that an MP will cease to be a member of the Dewan Rakyat on two conditions:

1) The MP "resigns" from or "ceases to be a member of" the political party that he or she was a member of upon being elected; or,

2) The MP, having been elected while being a member of a political party, joins a different political party.

The new law will also apply to MPs who were without a party membership upon being elected but subsequently joined a political party.

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