KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Amid increased talks that the 15th general election will be held this year, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke today signalled to party members to make sure their electoral machinery is fully prepared by August.
He also acknowledged that there has been a significant drop in support for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition based on voting patterns in the Johor state election, and said DAP will now focus on coming up with a specific action plan for GE15 in the next four months.
“An analysis session on the results of the Johor state election was presented to all the leaders present to understand the voting patterns in each seat contested by DAP candidates and the impact of the pattern on GE15,” he said in a statement on Facebook this afternoon amid a meeting with all DAP’s newly appointed central executive committee members and MPs.
“We accept the fact there has been a massive drop in the percentage of support to PH, even though DAP managed to defend 10 seats, but with a lower percentage of the vote,” he added.
Loke said that the DAP leadership also understood that one of the main conditions for GE15 to happen is the drafting of the anti-party hopping Bill, which he said would restore voter confidence in Malaysia’s electoral system.
“The whole party will give strong support to Gobind Singh to represent DAP's stance in the Special Select Committee set up by Parliament yesterday to ensure the agenda to pass the Anti-Party Hopping Bill before the end of May.
“The main objective of today's meeting is to reestablish hope and confidence of all DAP leaders, to lead our grassroots members to fight all out and win the support of the people in GE15,” he said.
De facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Parliament yesterday that 39 MPs have changed parties to date since Election 2018, causing political instability and jeopardising Malaysia’s practice of democracy.
He stressed that in matters of constitutional amendments, it is important for the government and the Opposition to unite to reassure voters their choice of elected representatives remain in their parties.
The special parliamentary session was called after the government proposed to add a new provision to the Constitution that would allow the enactment of federal laws to restrict freedom of association in relation to membership in a political party by elected representatives.
However, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill on Anti-Party Hopping which was scheduled to be tabled, debated and passed has been postponed to another special sitting in July, after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob gave his assurance in a briefing to MPs and senators.
In the debate session which was participated by 59 MPs, calls were made by several to abolish Article 48(6) of the Constitution and allow defecting MPs to contest as independent candidates in snap polls.
