PETALING JAYA: Anti-hopping laws should be tabled in Parliament by the first week of July, said the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).

       While expressing disappointment at the latest postponement to table the Bill, the civil rights movement said that delays in tabling the Bill should lead to better proposed laws to be drafted.

       "Bersih urges the government to commit to tabling a new and stronger anti-hopping law in the first week of July parliamentary session," Bersih said in a statement on Thursday (April 11).

       The group had previously raised its reservations on the proposed laws in its current draft form.

       Among them was that the present proposed law did not prevent "coalition hopping" or abuse by party leaders to force a seat vacancy by expelling a party MP, triggering a by-election.

       Bersih suggested that the government consider the Anti-Hopping Recall Law (AHRL) proposal which was put forth by Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

       "The (Azalina) proposal should be adopted for consultation and fine-tuning immediately," added the group.

       The anti-hopping law was supposed to have been tabled on the last day of the Dewan Rakyat meeting on March 24.

       However, the government decided to postpone tabling the Bill to a one-day special sitting on April 11 to allow a further relook at the proposed law.

       The last minute postponement was due to differences among some MPs as such a recall vote and the form anti-hopping law should take.

       On Wednesday (April 7), the Cabinet decided to go ahead with amendments to the Federal Constitution on Monday (April 11) to pave the way for anti-hopping laws to be tabled at a later date.

       There had been pressure from the opposition MPs and government backbenchers including civil society for the proposed anti-hopping law to be tabled during Dewan Rakyat's meeting last month.

       Meanwhile, Bersih expressed optimism that once tabled, the Bill would get the necessary support from MPs for it to pass.

       "MPs or parties which refuse to support the Bill or scheme to delay it, must be prepared to face the wrath of voters who have had to suffer years of political instability and see their votes betrayed by party hoppers," Bersih added.

       Since May 2018, a total of 33 MPs have either switched camps or left to form new parties.

       Party hopping since then, has led to the change of administrations at the federal and state levels, resulting in political instability.