KOTA KINABALU – The potential enactment of the anti-party hopping law in Sabah seems to be all set as all political camps in the state call for the law to be passed.
However, the question remains whether the Sabah government will call for an emergency sitting or wait until the next sitting to be held.
The latest show of support came from Warisan last night, following similar support expressed by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Barisan Nasional (BN), and Pakatan Harapan (PH) as well.
Warisan president and Sabah opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said all 18 of the party’s assemblymen would definitely support the anti-party hopping bill.
“I am sure most of our members coming from Warisan definitely will support this bill because we are the most affected party in Sabah,” he said this during his livestream via Facebook last night.
Warisan remains the only party with the most assemblymen and MPs in a single Sabah party despite crossovers following the state election in 2020.
On the same note, Shafie rubbished talk that his party came to power after the 2018 general election due to party-hopping but pointed out the collapse of his government was the result of turncoats.
He noted Warisan-PH came to power because Upko switched allegiance from BN to their alliance.
According to him, the new law will not outlaw elected representatives switching parties, except as a whole party.
Unlike the current situation, he said, the collapse of the Warisan-PH-Upko alliance in 2020 was due to assemblymen crossing over.
“I do hope that it (the enactment of the anti-party hopping law) is done concurrently with other states.
“All the parties have voted in support of this in Parliament. Why can’t their assemblymen in Sabah vote in support of it now?
“I hope that the chief minister and the government of Sabah will adopt this immediately if they want this issue to be resolved and not reported on again and again.
“I also hope the bill will be tabled anytime soon. Then again, we need ample time to attend the Dewan to support it,” he said.
Meanwhile, GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said all the component parties are in support of the law, saying however that the matter will be decided in the next supreme council meeting.
“All five parties (in GRS) support the anti-party hopping law. The only issue is when. The GRS supreme council has not met yet to decide when to enact the law,” he said, in reference to Bersatu, Sabah Star, Usno, SAPP, and PBS in the GRS alliance.
“We are ready anytime for the anti-party hopping law,” he added.
GRS currently has 30 assemblymen, with Bersatu having 16, PBS seven, Sabah STAR six, and SAPP one.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin was also clear on supporting the new law, saying he will discuss the matter with GRS chief Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor when he returns from his umrah pilgrimage.
“We will see during the next state assembly whether there is a need to hold a special sitting,” he said.
The PH alliance in Sabah is also pressing for the state to hold a special assembly sitting to enact the law at the state level.
“With so many uncertainties in Malaysian politics, it is best for Sabah to call for a special sitting for this bill.
“With the general election possibly held any time, there is a need for this law to be adopted by the state, given the possibility that the state may also call for a snap election,” he said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had informed all state governments to amend their respective constitutions in line with the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No.3) that prohibits MPs from switching parties.
In another development, Shafie has expressed hope that the Election Commission will hold the Bugaya by-election soon, or at the same time as the forthcoming general election.
The Bugaya seat has remained vacant since after the 2020 Sabah election, following the death of its representative, Manis Muka, due to kidney problems in November 2020.
Shafie said the by-election should be held now as Sarawak, Johor, and Melaka have also held their respective elections despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysia is currently heading into the endemic stage.
“I know they (GRS-BN) are probably worried as Bugaya is a constituency now held by Warisan.
“If (Warisan is getting more representatives), they will maybe need to pump more money into buying our reps, just like how they did with our Sebatik, Kukusan, Segama, and Sindumin reps previously,” he said.
Sebatik assemblyman Hassan Amir left Warisan in March 2021, followed by Kukusan assemblyman Rina Jainal on June 5, 2020.
Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Yusof Yacob quit the party in October 2021 while Segama assemblyman and Lahad Datu MP Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi in the same month. – The Vibes, August 10, 2022
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