Muhyiddin says anti-hopping law flawed, calls for review

Bersatu last night called for the Anti-Hopping Law (AHL) to be reviewed after four of its MPs announced their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Its president, Muhyiddin Yassin, said the law needs to be reviewed as it has several flaws, including the status of the Dewan Rakyat speaker who comes from a political party.

“From our discussion earlier, Bersatu believed that the AHL has to be reviewed as it has several weaknesses.

“For example, in the case of four Bersatu MPs from Sabah who quit the party. The case has yet to be decided by the court. But the Dewan Rakyat speaker (Johari Abdul) made his own decision that the MPs did not break any law.

“The speaker cannot be regarded as a professional as he comes from a rival political party. I can say that some of his decisions are compromised because he has vested interest,” Muhyiddin said last night.

The Bersatu president was speaking at a press conference after chairing a Bersatu supreme council special meeting at its office in Kuala Lumpur.

Muhyiddin was referring to a judicial review application by Bersatu to declare vacant the four parliamentary seats in Sabah, namely Papar, Batu Sapi, Ranau, and Sipitang.

The party mounted the challenge after Johari decided that its respective MPs need not vacate their seats based on the interpretation of the constitution of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Bersatu.

The MPs - Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau), and Matbali Musah (Sipitang) - had contested in the 15th general election under the GRS ticket. Bersatu was part of the coalition then, but it was dropped after the election.

In a letter to Bersatu on Jan 16, Johari said the MPs did not need to vacate their seats as they had provided an explanation for their action.

Bersatu in its judicial review application was seeking the court to nullify Johari’s decision and to declare that the four MPs have ceased to hold the positions.

Recently, four other Bersatu MPs announced that they now support Anwar's premiership but maintain that they are still loyal to the opposition party.

They are Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Iskandar Dzukarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Zahari Kechik (Jeli).

Such action was not covered by the AHL, which only stipulates the action of sitting MPs or assemblypersons quitting their party to join another.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said it was irresponsible for the MPs to shift their support to the prime minister, which has created doubt in Bersatu’s credibility.

“Bersatu condemns their action and we have taken the Kuala Kangsar and Labuan MPs to the party disciplinary body, which decided to suspend them.

“The disciplinary board will also discuss the Gua Musang and Jeli MPs soon,” he said.

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