Guan Eng tells PM to hold off GE15 until anti-hopping laws enacted in states
DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng has urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to wait until all states have amended their respective state constitutions to enact an anti-hopping law before triggering the 15th general election.
He said that this was to ensure uniformity, consistency and certainty after a similar law was passed in the Dewan Rakyat.
“There should be no...
DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng has urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to wait until all states have amended their respective state constitutions to enact an anti-hopping law before triggering the 15th general election.
He said that this was to ensure uniformity, consistency and certainty after a similar law was passed in the Dewan Rakyat.
“There should be no different sets of laws between the respective states and the Federal Constitution to cleanse the country’s political framework from dishonest opportunists who are willing to sell off their principles and betray the people’s mandate in pursuit of wealth and political posts,” Lim said in a statement today.
The Bagan MP added that all three Pakatan Harapan-led states, namely Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, would amend the respective state constitutions to incorporate the anti-hopping law.
He further called on the prime minister to direct state governments under the BN/PN umbrella to also amend their respective state constitutions to enact anti-hopping laws.
“For this reason, it is incumbent for Ismail Sabri to give effect to the anti-hopping law nationally by withholding general elections until this historic piece of legislation permeates every legislative body and infuses a new reformist spirit in future wakil rakyat,” Lim said.
Yesterday, the constitutional amendment bill aimed at discouraging MPs from switching parties was passed in the Dewan Rakyat.
When the bloc vote on the bill was called yesterday, 209 MPs voted in favour and none against it, far exceeding the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments. There were 11 absentees.
It will be tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Negara on Aug 9, according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
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