Anti-hopping law needs tightening: Mat Hasan

The Anti-Party Hopping Act should be reviewed to overcome existing loopholes thus preventing MPs or state assemblypersons from jumping to the opposing party.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said the matter should be done to ensure that the country is not thrown into disarray by the actions of politicians who prioritise personal interests instead of empowering the government after being elected by the people.

“If it is not studied, we can do a recall process like in England. When there are MPs who are not aligned with the party, the voters in that area can hold a referendum and if they get more than 50 percent support, the seat has to be vacated and the election held again,” he said.

The Rembau MP said this after officiating the Tenggara Umno division delegates’ meeting at Felda Sungai Sayong in Kota Tinggi today, which was also attended by Tenggara Umno division chief Dr Adham Baba.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was reported as saying that the government is open to holding discussions to plug the loopholes that exist in the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No 3) 2022 (Act A1663) or the Anti-Party Hopping Act.

Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, was quoted as saying that in 2022, his party had proposed that an amendment to the act be made, but was rejected by the government at that time.

On the subject of Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul’s decision to retain the positions of six former Bersatu MPs, Mohamad said the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

“That’s the power of the speaker... we have a separation of powers. In Parliament, the speaker has power and the same in the state assembly. That’s why when this case was brought to court, the court informed them not to interfere because this is a legislative matter, not a judicial one,” he said.

In another development, Mohamad, who is also BN deputy chairman, said he is ready to defend the position of Umno deputy president if the position is contested in the next party election.

“I will defend it, we fight together, winning and losing is normal in the family. The leadership selection process is a common practice in any organisation, including Umno.

“This is a process to choose the best from the good, so it is up to the party members to make the selection so that the party will continue to be well-led to face the election,” he said.

- Bernama

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