THERE is no need to rush the approval of the anti-party hopping bill, said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Hadi said the postponement is not a big issue, as an in-depth study and understanding of the bill is needed.

“This law needs to be scrutinised. No need to hurry. PAS is not in a hurry (concerning the matter),” he told the media this morning.

He was commenting on the cabinet’s decision to delay the tabling of the anti-party hopping bill slated for April 11.

Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yesterday said the reason for the deferment is because the “party-hopping” definition needs more study.

He said the special sitting will go ahead with the tabling of a constitutional amendment to facilitate the bill at a later date.

A Malay-language newspaper last week reported that the bill was not approved by the cabinet as it was rejected by Bersatu.

But Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan yesterday denied this allegation.

Hadi said PAS’ agreement with the postponement does not mean that it disagrees with the bill – on the contrary, the party strongly supports the draft law.

The Islamist party tried to address the issue by approving the anti-party hopping enactment in the Kelantan assembly in 1991. But the Supreme Court ruled that the decision to pass such an enactment as unconstitutional the following year.

“Our government fell because of party-hopping in Terengganu in 1960, so it is not new. We have been dealing with this issue for a long time, which is why PAS mentioned in its oath that any elected representative who jumps must resign.

“If you do not resign, God will curse you. That is in the baiah (pledge of allegiance). We have faced this problem for a long time.”

The Marang MP also denied that Bersatu tried to boycott the government by rejecting the bill.

Bersatu has its own reason for not agreeing with the bill as it may want the government to make a more thorough assessment on the matter, he added.

“There is no issue of delay; Bersatu will discuss with us. And not just Bersatu, as Perikatan Nasional also includes a party from Sarawak and the people in Sabah.” – April 8, 2022.