KUCHING, April 11 — Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has confirmed that all 18 Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) members of Parliament will support the Anti-Party Hopping Bill upon its tabling in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Yes, we support,” said the GPS whip in Parliament when contacted yesterday.
The 18 MPs from GPS comprises 13 from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), two from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), two from Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and one from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
Fadillah, who is the federal Minister of Works, said a special Parliament sitting would be held today, set to include the tabling of and debate on amendment to the Federal Constitution involving the enactment of an enabling clause under Article 10 of the Constitution to allow the new Act prohibiting MPs from switching political parties.
As such, the Anti-Party Hopping Bill that was initially scheduled to be tabled, debated and passed in this special meeting had been postponed to another special sitting of Parliament to be determined later.
Bernama had reported that there would be a special Parliament sitting to table and debate the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 today.
The special session would include a special meeting of the Dewan Rakyat today, and a special meeting of the Dewan Negara tomorrow.
The tabling and debate would involve enactment of an enabling clause under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution to allow a new act prohibiting MPs from switching parties.
According to the Bernama report, the postponement of the Bill, or the Constitution (Amendment) Bill on Anti-Party Hopping, was agreed at a meeting of the Steering Committee on Transformation and Political Stability last Thursday.
The tabling of and debate on the Anti-Party Hopping Bill was postponed for the second time after it was scheduled to be tabled for the first reading on March 24.
It was revealed recently by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar that a total of 39 MPs in the country had jumped parties since 2018.
It was also reported that this had led to political instability in Malaysia, with the country witnessing three prime ministers being appointed within a single parliamentary term. — Borneo Post Online
