KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — Retired security personnel group Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan urged the government today to enact a law against party hopping to prevent lawmakers’ defection without reasonable cause.

Patriot president Brigadier General (Retired) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji said such a law was vital to ensure the integrity of lawmakers.

"It helps strengthen the parliamentary two-party system. The elected representatives can focus on seriously serving the people instead of wasting time in brokering, dealing, horse-trading and offering themselves to the highest bidder in the throne of power,” he said in a statement.

Most importantly, Arshad said the law will ensure an elected representative cannot become a "political prostitute”.

"If the federal government were to change, will these party hoppers again jump ship? Will threat of prosecution or threatened exposure of some embarrassing act do the same?

"The Sabah episode of mass party hopping by assemblymen midway through the electoral period is a tragedy that led to the death of the assembly. It is a hallmark of shame seen from societal norms, ethics and values,” he said, adding such actions have left a bad taste in the mouths of Malaysians.

The defection of at least 13 assemblymen to former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman’s side last week led to incumbent chief minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to dissolve the state legislature with the consent of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, paving way for elections to be held within the coming 60 days.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Sabah has said it will investigate allegations that lawmakers had been offered millions of ringgit and government posts to defect.