Sneak peek at anti-hopping bill today for MoU steering committee?

KUALA LUMPUR – The steering committee of the political memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan (PH) will meet today to deliberate the much-anticipated anti-party hopping law. 

The lawmakers could also get a glimpse into some details of the legislation even though the proposed tabling of the bill in a special parliamentary sitting this Monday has been postponed. 

Today’s meeting may, among others, deliberate on the proposed constitutional amendments that are necessary to facilitate the tabling of the bill in the future. 

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil confirmed with The Vibes that the meeting will take place, but did not divulge further details on the time and venue. 

“Right now, there have been many engagements with MPs, but we have not had the chance to see the bill.

“As far as PH is concerned, our mechanism is the MoU steering committee, and we will have a meeting today to go over some of the details. I understand the cabinet discussed the bill in its meeting yesterday. 

“Right now, we are just curious as to what the bill will look like. Today we may find out, but I’m not at the liberty to say more than that.”

The government has been in a race against time to finalise the bill before its tabling in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, which is also expected to deliberate on the proposal to limit the prime minister’s tenure to two terms. 

However, Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had confirmed yesterday that the tabling has been deferred after the cabinet failed to reach an agreement on the legislation. 

He reportedly said the bill will now be sent back for further study on what specifically defines party-hopping, but affirmed that Monday’s Dewan Rakyat meet will carry on with the tabling of a constitutional amendment.

The tabling of the anti-party hopping bill is among the items agreed by PH and the government under the MoU, which was signed on September 13 last year and will lapse when Parliament dissolves. 

The bill was originally proposed to be tabled during the last parliamentary sitting that ended on March 24, but was delayed as the government needed to get feedback from the Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional coalitions. 

The anti-party hopping bill will also require amendments to be made to the federal constitution, meaning a two-thirds majority is required for the legislation to be passed. – The Vibes, April 7, 2022