PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has noticed the irony that certain MPs who had previously jumped ship are now slated to give speeches during the debate on constitutional amendments to pave the way for an anti-party hopping law.

       “It is weird that some of the MPs giving speeches are the ones who party-hopped. Even young children are smart, asking ‘Daddy, what is party-hopping?’” said the Kinabatangan MP.

       He also agreed with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Port Dickson) that the anti-party hopping law should only be tabled later in a special Parliament sitting in May.

       “I agree with my (Opposition) friends over there that this issue should be settled before the next general election,” said Bung on Monday (April 11).

       Bung then proposed that he should sit in the bipartisan select committee that will scrutinise the amendment involving Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

       However, his suggestion was met with laughter by several unidentified Opposition MPs.

       “What are you laughing at? What is so funny? You think you are qualified? You are not qualified,” said Bung.

       Lim Lip Eng (Pakatan-Kepong) then interjected and asked Bung if he agreed that party-hopping should be criminalised.

       “If it’s tabled by YB (Lim), I will surely support it. Because these leaders are criminals who have cheated the people and the party,” Bung replied.

       On Monday, the government tabled the Constitution (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 2022 for first reading and it seeks to introduce a new Clause 3A to amend Article 10(1) of the constitution which will allow the introduction of laws to ban party-hopping.

       However, later that morning, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said the constitutional amendment involving Article 10 would not be voted on in the House.

       Wan Junaidi said the decision to defer voting on the constitutional amendment was made following a meeting chaired between Ismail Sabri and Pakatan’s top leadership on Monday morning.

       The anti party-hopping Bill is expected to be tabled in the coming Parliament meeting that begins from July 18 to Aug 4.