KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat is set to convene for a special sitting next month specifically to deliberate on the proposed anti-party hopping bill, confirming rumours that it will be postponed beyond the current sitting.
Newly appointed DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said this was confirmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a meeting held with Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) top leaders in Parliament today.
Apart from Loke, the others present were Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the latter representing party president and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The prime minister has given his commitment that the bill will be tabled and debated in the Dewan Rakyat through a special sitting during the coming month of Ramadan,” he said in a Facebook post.
“All technical and interpretation issues must be ironed out by the bipartisan technical committee in the near future.
“We give our full commitment that PH will provide its cooperation in ensuring the constitutional amendment can be passed, subsequently barring any action of party-hopping.”
The Muslim fasting month this year will take place starting April 3.
The bill, one of the main conditions set by PH in its memorandum of understanding signed with the government, was originally set for tabling in the ongoing sitting which ends tomorrow.
Ismail Sabri had said on March 1 that the constitutional amendments pertaining to the bill will be presented to Parliament in the second week of the month.
However, on March 18, Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the government was not able to finalise the bill until it is able to get feedback from the Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional coalitions.
Earlier engagement sessions scheduled for late-February with the two parties were postponed as they wanted to focus on the Johor election.
Wan Junaidi had said that once the engagement is completed and cabinet has given its approval, the prime minister will then appoint a date for a special parliamentary sitting. – The Vibes, March 23, 2022
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