IT is important for the Sabah and Sarawak legislative assemblies to quickly table the anti-hopping bill at the state level within 60 days, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) elaborated that the amendment to the Federal Constitution to prohibit party-hopping passed by the Dewan Rakyat today did not apply to both state legislative assemblies.

Thus, he said, PBS urged the Sabah government led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah to also quickly table the anti-hopping bill at the state level.

“A special sitting must be called to pass this bill in the next 60 days, and to us in PBS after 37 years, this is truly a dream come true and recognition of the party’s struggle to ensure political stability, not just in the state but in the country as a whole,” he said in a statement today.

The amendment to the Federal Constitution to prohibit Dewan Rakyat members from changing parties or committing party-hopping was passed today after it received two-thirds majority support from the Dewan Rakyat, with 209 out of the 220 Members of Parliament voting in favour. 

Ongkili said PBS had always opposed such behaviour, describing the “frog-leaping” tradition as sinful and unprincipled politics.

“To us, it is evil, unfair, and devoid of good ethics and manners,” he opined, adding that the party tried to put a stop to party-hopping by passing a law in the state legislature in 1988 to prevent assemblymen from defecting, but it was declared null and void by the High Court.

Meanwhile, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah deputy president, Arthur Joseph Kurup said passing of the Anti-Hopping BiIl had given a clear message to every member of the Dewan Rakyat to hold strong to the principles of the political party they represented so as to protect the people’s mandate.

In a separate statement, he said a stable political landscape would enable everyone to unite to develop the country for prosperity, to be enjoyed by all Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Families). 

Kurup, who is also Deputy Works Minister, said domestic and foreign investors’ confidence in the country’s political situation would again create new business opportunities and more jobs to boost the people’s economy.

“Most importantly, the anti-hopping law will protect the interest and trust of the people who have given their votes to the politicians selected as their representatives through the general election process, which they should uphold with full integrity,” he added. – Bernama, July 28, 2022.