MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the actions of several opposition MPs in pledging support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government recently did not violate the Anti-Party Hopping or the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No.3) 2022 (Act A1663).
Azalina said it was because all the MPs pledged their support without quitting their political parties.
“The Anti-Party Hopping Act means jumping from one party to another. If we read the debates to create the act in previous (parliament) sessions, the emphasis was more on leaving the party they represented when contesting. However, today they are not leaving the party, only pledging support… and the government has already been formed.”
She said this when appearing as a guest on the “Suara Anak Madani” programme that also featured Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) today.
However, Azalina, who is also Umno information chief, said it was the prerogative of the relevant parties to take any disciplinary action.
Elaborating, she said former law minister Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who brought the motion for the act last year, explained that pledging support to the government without jumping parties is not a violation of relevant constitutional amendments.
The Constitution (Amendment) Act (No.3) 2022 that prohibits Dewan Rakyat members from jumping parties was passed on July 28, 2022 and came into force on October 5, 2022.
Azalina also denied allegations that the government offered inducements to MPs who pledged their support to the prime minister, thus breaching the act.
Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal is the latest opposition MP to express support for Anwar’s leadership after Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).
Azalina urged opposition MPs to be more mature in providing criticism in parliament instead of being hateful and extreme.
“We adopt the Westminster system and have shadow ministers. It is fairer and more appropriate if we criticise based on policies. For example, the shadow communications minister might say if we were the government, we would not do that. It’s more of an intellectual discussion, and for me, Malaysians are a thinking population, and they can choose,” she said.
“Suara Anak Madani” is a talk show moderated by Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin. It engages in casual discussions about policies and hot issues with guests.
The programme is streamed on Suara Anak Madani social media channels. – Bernama, December 8, 2023.
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