Sabah not compelled to enact anti-hopping law within 60 days: Masidi

KOTA KINABALU – Sabah’s local government and housing minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has dismissed the suggestion to implement an anti-party hopping law in the state within a 60-day timeframe, saying that the state was not compelled to do so.

Responding to the suggestion by Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, Masidi said the adoption of the anti-party hopping law in Sabah will depend on when the next state assembly is called, and whether the state assembly speaker would also include it in the meeting’s agenda. 

“There is no law that compels Sabah assembly to do it in 60 days, right?

“I think we leave it to the state government to decide. I mean, as far as Sabah is concerned and probably Sarawak, I think nobody should be dictating to us when to do it. 

“All I know is that it could even be less than 60 days,” he said at the sidelines during the launching of the national month and Hari Pahlawan celebrations in Padang Merdeka here today.

However, Masidi, who is also Sabah Bersatu deputy chief, said there is no reason why a special sitting could not be called but suggested that it would be best if the matter is decided during the state budget sittings sometime in November or December.

Even if a special sitting is not held, he added that naturally, all the Sabah elected representatives would adhere to the new federal law. 

“I think the parliamentary sittings (when the anti-party hopping law was passed) were also a special sitting, isn’t it? But it is also a sitting for other purposes too. 

“But the crux of the matter or the principle behind this act is already established, and we believe all parties will adhere to those principles, notwithstanding that an enactment would be passed in Sabah for the same purpose,” he said. 

According to Masidi, the passing of the anti-party hopping bill two days ago was welcomed by the state government, saying it will, in a way, assure political stability in Sabah. 

“This is because us (elected representatives) are one of the factors causing the fall and rise of governments.

“If we recall in 2018 (after the general election), the party hopping incident led to the end of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, and this led to the rise of a new Sabah government,” he said, in reference to the Upko and several Umno assemblymen who switched sides to support Warisan and Pakatan Harapan a day after the general election was held that year.  

The outcome of the elections saw Sabah’s assembly turning into a hung one, but Upko and several Umno assemblymen decided to abandon BN, giving Warisan and Pakatan Harapan the mandate to form the state government.

The anti-party hopping law currently only applies to federal lawmakers and does not apply to state assemblies.

On July 28, the Dewan Rakyat passed the anti-party hopping bill, with 209 MPs voting in favour of the bill. 

Efforts to reach Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Sabah assembly speaker Datuk Kadzim M. Yahya, who both attended the National Day launching, were met with no response. –  The Vibes, July 31, 2022