KUALA LUMPUR – Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah slammed Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin for normalising party-hopping ahead of the special Dewan Rakyat sitting on the matter on June 7.
She cautioned that Hamzah’s “outburst” is an indication that the anti-hopping bill may not materialise when Parliament reconvenes to debate the matter.
“Come June 7, it may be futile to hold any Parliament session if the government shows poor commitment to the anti-hopping bill and makes delusional excuses for its refusal.
“His (Hamzah) view that hopping is ‘for the public’s benefit, not the individual’ is flawed, but used as justification by those who were involved in the Sheraton Move in 2020, which brought down the Pakatan Harapan government.
“If the anti-hopping act does not happen, the rakyat and lawmakers have to strongly protest against this sell-out and vote out those who stand in the way of democracy,” she said in a statement today.
She added that despite the mandate in 2018, “the rakyat found themselves with the possibility of the same old corrupt and convicted leaders being reinstated”.
Yesterday, Hamzah, also Bersatu’s secretary-general, said it was normal to take in party-hoppers, as decisions to switch parties come from individual political ideals and prioritising one’s constituents.
“Whether a party member enters or exits their party is something normal that has been happening for some time.” – The Vibes, May 12, 2022
