REPORTS that 16 Members of Parliament from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), including four who were previously expelled, are poised to join another political party in the near future are inaccurate, according to legal counsel for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq said any such move would trigger Malaysia’s anti-party hopping law, requiring the affected MPs to vacate their parliamentary seats.
“We wish to clarify that reports about 16 Members of Parliament intending to defect are technically incorrect. In practical terms, how can these MPs simply join another party?
“They cannot. In my view, the statement that 16 MPs will join another party is not accurate. If all these MPs were to leave their current party, leave Bersatu, they would indeed be bound by the anti-party hopping law. In all likelihood, their seats would be vacated,” he said today.
He was responding to media reports alleging that Hamzah and several Bersatu MPs aligned with him were preparing to join another political party or seek a “new home” in the near future.
Hamzah and three other Bersatu MPs were previously expelled from the party and are now sitting as independents who support Perikatan Nasional, the opposition bloc.
Khaliq Mehtab, who is also a former Bersatu division chief for Kepala Batas, stressed that it is not a straightforward matter for Bersatu MPs to align themselves with another party under the current legal framework.
“We may desire a new vessel, a new political party, but even if one boards that new vessel, one remains bound by existing laws, especially the anti-party hopping law.
“If these 16 MPs were to shift allegiance to a new party, it would indeed trigger the anti-party hopping law and their seats in the Dewan Rakyat could be declared vacant.
“Not that they will automatically be vacated, but they could be vacated. That means it is not so simple for Members of Parliament to join another party. It is not that easy to change affiliation to a new party,” he said.
His remarks underscore the legal constraints facing lawmakers contemplating a change in party allegiance, amid continuing speculation over the political future of several opposition MPs. - February 27, 2026
