LIVID by the constant party hopping by lawmakers, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has urged the Government to enact an anti-party hopping law to protect Malaysian democracy.
“We need to enact the legislation to protect our democracy and voters’ will. Party hopping undermines voters, the party and Malaysia as a whole. It’s just not fair,” Malaysian Indian Voice founder cum adviser V Pappa Raidu told FocusM.
Two days ago, PKR MPs Larry Sng Wei Shien and Steven Choong Shiau Yoon defected to Perikatan Nasional, giving Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin a slim majority to hold on to power.
Prior to that, three Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) lawmakers left the party to join PKR, which incurred the chagrin of Amanah’s deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub who urged allies not to undermine the party.
“Knowing the spirit of camaraderie in Pakatan Harapan, it is not appropriate for any Harapan component party to take in any allied party’s members.
“I feel that such a spirit is agreed to by all parties that form a coalition,” Salahuddin said, in a tweet.
Touching on the matter, Pappa Raidu said that many people have voiced frustration over party-hopping for years but politicians keep ignoring the matter due to vested interest.
“With the new law, no immediate millionaire’s can be formed in the future as only lawmakers with integrity will hold office,” he opined.
Leave party, quit your seat too
Asked whether party-hopping can also be attributed to Pakatan’s failure to enact the law when in power, Pappa Raidu dismissed it, saying the situation then was different.
“When Pakatan took power in 2018, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the leader and there was an agreement that he will lead for two years. So, they could not do much.
“Even then, when lawmakers from the other side were defecting to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), we voiced our displeasure.
“Perhaps if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in charge, things might have been different,” said the DAP Kota Raja Parliamentary Liaison Committee chairman.
On the anti-party hopping law, Pappa Raidu said that lawmakers should be allowed to switch parties at any given time as it was their right, but they should also be compelled to vacate their parliamentary or state seat at the same time.
“We respect your views and decisions but they must also quit their MP or state assembly seats. Return the mandate to the voters and let them decide from then on,” he remarked. – March 2, 2021.
