PETALING JAYA: Lawmakers need to be on the same page to amend the constitution to stop party hopping, say politicians and experts.

       Barisan Nasional youth chairman and Umno youth chief Datuk Seri Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said that such amendments were needed, particularly with the current political instability amplified by the pandemic.

       “The people need it. The country needs it more,” he said when contacted yesterday.

       Asyraf called upon all 220 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat to support the Bill.

       He said that parties or MPs who oppose the Bill would be seen as condoning party hopping and would likely be punished by their voters.

       “The people will punish the MPs and their party severely if they oppose the Bill. This also includes Umno MPs. I urge them not to flip-flop on this matter as the nation has suffered too long due to party hopping,” he added.

       He said that Umno has been in the forefront pushing for anti-hopping laws after a number of MPs defected to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

       Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said he is hopeful that the needed two-thirds majority would be secured.

       “People’s trust in democracy will further erode if the law does not come to fruition,” he said.

       He added the tabling of the proposed amendments will expose lawmakers who either support or oppose party-hopping.

       “That MPs will feel the backlash if they oppose the Bill,” he said.

       He, however, said that there are still some issues that need to be addressed for MPs to give their consensus.

       PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said that it was crucial for MPs to back the amendments to stop party-hopping based on consensus.

       “If these actions are not stopped, it will deter voters from casting their ballots as they will lose confidence in the electoral process, which will dent our democratic process,” he said.

       Shamsul Iskandar noted that the act of party-hopping had impacted voters’ trust in the electoral system.

       “Many voters may be unwilling to cast their votes in the upcoming March 12 Johor state polls not only because of the rising Covid-19 cases but also because they are worried that once a person gets elected, they defect to another party later on.

       “This is why I stress the significance of the anti-hopping law,” he said.

       He said that having provisions to prevent party-hopping would also help curb corrupt practices to get an elected representatives to switch parties.

       Meanwhile, Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) said that while he expects to see heated debates, the proposed amendments would get the required two-thirds majority.

       “The proposals require constitutional amendments and this will result in some heated debates.

       “But a majority of the MPs will support it as they will be on the same page on the issue,” he said.

       He noted this was the case when amendments to the Federal Constitution were successfully carried out in 2019 for Undi18 and more recently, equal status for Sarawak and Sabah or MA63.

       However, he said the government must do its part to lobby for support from MPs as what was done by the then Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for Undi18.

       “He (Syed Saddiq) went round lobbying for support from all sides to get support for Undi18 and was seen in photographs with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Najib Razak,” he said.

       He noted that amendments with regard to MA63 ran into some resistance when initially tabled during the Pakatan Harapan administration.

       He said this was due to last minute engagement with stakeholders and lack of consensus from Parti Gabungan Sarawak (GPS) lawmakers over the proposed changes.

       International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM), Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod also said that it is likely for Perikatan to secure two-thirds majority for the amendments.

       He said this was because the approach taken is less severe compared to attempts to table specific punitive laws.

       “The proposed amendments achieves it’s objective of a hopper losing his seat.

       “I think they will most likely get the majority support of MPs,” he said.

       Even if the Bill is not passed during the coming meeting, he said that it could be tabled again at the next session.

       “It is an important Bill by way of consensus.

       “So, even if there is going to be a delay, that delay will be in the best interest of Parliament and its members,” he added.