KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan (PH) has snubbed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s briefing on the constitutional amendment set to be debated during a special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow.
An opposition lawmaker, who requested anonymity, told The Vibes that he was aware of the briefing in Dewan De’Seri Endon in Putrajaya set to start at 4.30pm today, but said he will instead be attending the PH briefing set at 4.45pm instead.
“Yes, it clashes with the PM’s briefing, but I will be attending the PH briefing instead. We are concerned about the widespread nature and legal implications on Article 10. The implications are quite serious.
“We are looking into recall votes. It seems that they want to whack a mosquito, but they will end up whacking the entire system. It’s an overkill, and we need to sharpen the interpretation to focus only on the anti-hopping bill.
“Otherwise, the federal constitution will dictate the behaviour of political parties and MPs. This will curb the democratic freedom of MPs.”
Ismail Sabri’s briefing today is set to start at 4.30pm, where law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and the prime minister will be addressing members of the lower and upper houses.
It is expected to discuss the anti-party hopping bill and limiting the prime minister’s term in office to not more than 10 years.
The bill, which was supposed to be debated during the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow, has been deferred to an indefinite time.
Sources have accused Bersatu cabinet members as being resistant towards the bill.
Similarly, Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said also warned of the dangers of amending Article 10 without a definitive anti-party hopping bill.
She said in a tweet that amending Article 10 without strictly defined anti-party hopping laws would be “too wide and dangerous”.
She also cautioned that such laws could later be challenged on constitutional grounds, instead suggesting to amend Article 48(6) as well to avoid potential constitutional crises in the future.
Political youth activist group Undi18 also shared the lawmakers’ perspective, saying that the planned amendments to the federal constitution to make way for an anti-hopping law must not be allowed, as it could grant broad powers to the government to remove elected representatives on a whim. – The Vibes, April 10, 2022
