PAKATAN Harapan (PH) will lose credibility if it were to accept the four former assemblymen who caused the fall of the Malacca government, DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh said. 

The Bukit Gelugor MP said the fate of the quartet should be decided by the people when the state goes to the polls on November 20.  

“In the coming state elections, PH cannot be seen to be complicit in their actions by accepting them as this can be to PH’s detriment in the coming general elections as well,” he said in a statement today.

Ramkarpal said any move by PH must be avoided at all costs, having regard to its commitment to table anti-party hopping laws pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that it recently signed with the government.

On Thursday, PH said it will not be giving a seat to incumbent Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Norhizam Hassan Baktee who won the seat under the DAP ticket in the 2018 general election. 

The others who defected are Sg Udang assemblyman and former chief minister Idris Haron, Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor).

He said that many have criticised the possibility of PH accepting these assemblymen and they are absolutely right in doing so.

“It would be incongruous for PH to accept the said four and at the same time push for such anti-party hopping laws, be it in the form of recall elections or outright anti-party hopping laws.”

He said that since anti-party hopping laws are currently not established, the quartet can stand as independents in the coming state elections but allowing them to contest under the PH banner will thwart its efforts to implement such laws.

“This will provide ample fodder to those who oppose such laws to condemn PH and perhaps renegade from their promise for such a reform as part of the MOU.”

Ramkarpal added that one of the main reasons in signing the MOU was to see the implementation of reforms and PH now has an opportunity to show that it is very serious in seeing these materialise.

“It is hoped that party hopping will become a thing of the past with the passing of anti-party hopping laws and amendments to the Federal Constitution for the purpose very soon.

“PH must take all steps in ensuring this happens, and not jeopardise it instead by accepting the said four assemblymen.”

The Malacca government collapsed after four elected representatives pulled their support for the state government led by Umno.

Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said the polls would have a 12-day campaign period, with nominations starting on November 8 and casting the ballot on November 20. – October 23, 2021.