KOTA KINABALU, May 26 — With the passing of a Bill to pave the way for anti-party hopping provisions in the law, Opposition Parti Warisan is now hoping that the state government will make good its promise to refine the provisions and insert qualifiers on the appointment of the chief minister.

Party president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said that this includes the positions of the appointed assemblymen, who should be subject to the anti-party hop laws.

"We will follow up on the promise to look at and revise the provision now that Article 6(7) is abolished. Maybe with a select committee consisting of elected assemblymen, because it is important to present criteria on how to decide who qualifies to be appointed chief minister,” said Shafie, adding that it should involve more than the use of statutory declarations.

The former chief minister said it was important that the state government leader comes from a party that was elected by the majority of voters, and who contested in the elections.

"We cannot have a party that does not contest the government. That is contradictory to the democratic system. We have to ask the people to choose the person who will lead the state. And now that we have abolished the qualifier that he be the party leader, there should be other qualifiers in place,” said Shafie.

He also said that it was significant that the nominated assemblymen are left out of the anti-hop law as they were given the exact same rights as elected assemblymen and should also be subjected to the law.

"We have this in our Private Members Bill. Penang has also included it. The nominated assemblymen are required to relinquish their posts the moment a change of government arises. They have equal rights, so they should also have the right to go,” he said.

Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking said that the appointed Senators in the Dewan Negara did not have the same rights as elected MPs which was why they were not subject to the anti-hopping law.

In Sabah, the government of the day can appoint or nominate up to six assemblymen to strengthen their government and they would have equal powers as the elected assemblymen including powers to vote in votes of confidence.

"They get the same pay, same pension, same allowances and hold their for five years and can be re-appointed in each new term without any limit in the number of terms.

"Senators are appointed for a three-year term and renewable for a second term only,” he said.

"But at any time before the next election, these nominated assemblymen can play the role of forming a new government within the five-year term. There is also nothing in the law to say that the nominated assemblymen cannot be the chief minister,” he added.

Yesterday, the State Assembly passed a Bill to include in the Constitution any elected assemblyman will automatically have to vacate their seat if they leave their party. The Bill was passed mostly unanimously by all 75 members present, including all the Warisan assemblymen.

However, it also included a clause to remove a provision that states the governor is to appoint a chief minister from the leader of the party with the majority of votes, allowing essentially any member of the Assembly, who the governor deems can command the confidence of the majority.

Fourteen of the Warisan lawmakers objected to this clause, but it was passed by the majority.