KUALA LUMPUR – Although party-hopping tendencies should be discouraged, it is sometimes necessary to ensure that a majority government can be formed after a general election, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi-Pejuang).
He told the Dewan Rakyat that parties should have the option to come together to form a stable government post-election.
“After elections, no one party will secure more than 50% of the seats needed to establish a government. If a minority government is formed during that time, the Dewan Rakyat can simply bring them down by issuing no-confidence votes.
“We could hold another election but that won’t solve the problem. This is why we need party-hopping to be allowed,” he said while debating the historic bill for constitutional amendments to punish party-hoppers.
He added that if a party is to work with another that is low on votes, it should be done with the approval and support of the party’s supreme council and constitution.
“The whole party moves, and there should be no calls to revoke the MP status of party members,” he said, adding that he hopes the bill being tabled in Parliament today will be approved.
“Hopefully, this bill will receive two-thirds support so there are no more situations where a democratically elected government chosen by the people are toppled while parties rejected by voters assume power.”
It is unclear whether Dr Mahathir’s suggestions will be an option under the proposed bill tabled in the morning.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said MPs who jump from parties in the same or different coalitions will have their MP status revoked.
In February 2020, the Sheraton Move saw Gombak MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali leading several other MPs to quit PKR and lend their support to Bersatu, following Dr Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong subsequently appointed Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, paving the way for the party to form Perikatan Nasional.
Besides that, Dr Mahathir took an apparent dig at MPs who have been charged in court for alleged wrongdoings, claiming that national laws have outlined how such politicians should have lost their MP privileges due to their actions.
Citing Article 48(e) of the federal constitution, he said that the continued presence of MPs who are facing charges in court is testament to laws not being adhered to, saying: “Sometimes, the Dewan Rakyat does not respect the laws of this country.
“Even if the MP has appealed the court’s judgement, as long as the appeal is not concluded, they are guilty of their charges,” he said without directly addressing his accusations at any MP.
The law cited states that a person is disqualified from being a member of either House of Parliament if he has been convicted of an offence by a court of law in the federation and has not received a free pardon.
The Court of Appeal last year upheld the conviction, 12-year prison sentence, and RM210 million fine imposed against Datuk Seri Najib Razak (Pekan-BN) for misappropriating RM42 million in funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd subsidiary.
He is currently in the process of his final appeal while Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (Bagan Datuk-BN) corruption trial is ongoing. – The Vibes, July 27, 2022
