BANGI MP Syahredzan Johan, the Bersatu party and its ally PAS should not use the issue of the six Bersatu MPs as a political weapon to discredit the unity government.
He said instead of making noise all over the country, Bersatu MPs should agree to join the unity government in amending the Federal Constitution to complete the Anti-Party Jumping Act. Or perhaps they just want to play politics with the issue.
“So the question I want to put to Bersatu is, are you all ready to ‘u-turn’ your stance and support the amendment to Article 49A of the Federal Constitution?” he asked.
“In the past, Bersatu did not agree that MPs who were dismissed should vacate their seats. Therefore, Article 49A of the Federal Constitution regarding party jumping has a clear loophole.
“With the Speaker’s decision regarding the six MP who expressed support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, it is time we consider amending Article 49A(2)(c) of the Constitution.”
UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has said the government should introduce a recall petition in line with the legal amendments to the anti-party hopping law.
He said the move is currently practiced in the UK, where an MP can lose their seat after voters in the relevant constituency sign a petition to remove them for switching parties.
“I personally view that it is better to do so (amend the anti-party hopping law), or we could also introduce a recall process as currently practiced in the UK.
“Under the recall process, any MP who defects from their party can be removed if more than 50% of their voters support a petition for their removal.”
Three years ago, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) launched a report today that proposes the implementation of a Recall Procedure Law (RPL) at the state level to address the issue of party-hopping that has plagued Malaysia for decades.
The RPL returns the mandate to the voters by allowing them to propose a petition to keep or sack an assemblyperson who has switched parties for personal gains or if the party leadership disagrees with his or her decision.
It said this has been the practice in countries like India, Germany, Canada and the US where initiatives to stop party-hopping have started at the sub-national level.
But not a single political party backed the call. – July 14, 2024
