SANDAKAN – The passing of the constitutional amendments that seek to outlaw party-hopping yesterday is a good start, although it is not perfect, said Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong.
He said the amendment is not comprehensive as it has a lot of grey areas that may act as loopholes for representatives who intend to leave their party but keep their positions as elected representatives.
“There are weaknesses. For example, we are not clear if a YB (Yang Berhormat) who is kicked out from his own party could maintain his position as a representative.
“And if a party leaves its coalition, what is to happen to its representatives? Is it considered jumping?
“How about nominated assemblymen? They were not voted in by the people, what happens if they jump?” he asked.
Wong said this at a joint press conference with Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong and Karamunting assemblyman George Hiew in Bandar Letat here today.
However, he said that it is a good beginning as it would give people the confidence to vote.
“People are fed up with politicians. This is a good beginning; at least the people will have a little more trust (in the democracy process),” he added.
Wong also said he hopes the Sabah assembly will hold a special sitting to pass the law at the state level as soon as possible.
He said Sabah was among the earliest to take Undi18 to its assembly after the Dewan Rakyat passed the bill, and he hopes the state government also takes quick action this time.
“Surely, there will be very heated debates, but it is something that we have to do to move forward in Sabah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chong told The Vibes that Pakatan Harapan (PH) does not need to brag about the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with the government to pass the amendment, because other parties not involved in the MoU also supported the bill in Parliament yesterday.
“Let’s be real. It is not because of the MoU. Warisan did not sign the MoU, but we have been a strong supporter of the anti-hopping law,” he said.
Chong said the idea is not new in Sabah because Parti Bersatu Sabah had once tabled a similar bill in the state assembly, but it did not go through because it was against the constitution.
“We hope that all parties in Sabah can do it right this time and have the anti-hopping law imposed at the state level,” he added.
Preventing defections, curbing political chaos
Meanwhile, Sabah PKR chief Datuk Christina Liew urged the state government to emulate Parliament by amending the state constitution to accommodate a similar law to prohibit members of the assembly from party hopping.
She said Sabah cannot afford to descend into political chaos as a result of political instability caused by unconstitutional defections.
“Defections by elected MPs or assemblymen lead to the loss of parliamentary or assembly majority, and this in turn leads to unnecessary elections which constitute a waste of public funds,” she said.
Liew added that with the passing of the amendment, the electorate will now have no qualms about coming out in full force and voting to decide on the country’s destiny in the 15th general election.
“Malaysians desire for political stability, not political discord. They want a strong and stable government so that we can achieve tangible progress in all aspects of socio-economic development without any undue disruption,” she said. – The Vibes, July 29, 2022
