GEORGE TOWN, Feb 4 ― MPs have received invitations to give their feedback on the proposed anti-party hopping law amendment in a stakeholders engagement session next week, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said the engagement session, to be held with the de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, will discuss both the anti-party hopping Bill and the 10-year term limit for the prime minister’s post.
“The engagement session is to get feedback from the MPs on how these two amendments to the federal constitution can be done,” the Penang lawmaker told reporters today after handing out Chinese New Year goodies to the public here.
He said Penang is the best example of how it can be done as the state has already amended its state constitution to include anti-party hopping and a two-term limit for the chief minister’s post.
However, Chow said there are still areas such as the constitutionality and legality of the laws that have to be covered before the amendments are approved in Parliament.
“For Penang, I’m willing to go back to the state legislative assembly which is sitting in May to amend these two clauses to be in line with what is approved in Parliament,” he said.
He said Penang faced its own challenges with regards to its anti-party hopping law as the four state assemblymen who have switched parties in Penang have opted to go to court to challenge the law.
“Since the four have decided to go to court, we will have to test it out in court,” he said.
Chow said the anti-party hopping law is important and has to be approved before the general election is called to prevent any more incidents of party hopping between elected representatives that could topple the government.
Wan Junaidi had reportedly said the proposed new law against switching between political parties is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the February to March meeting.
