BANNING members of Parliament from defecting to another party after winning a general election is not the way to settle the issue of party-hopping, former prime minister Najib Razak said today.
 
The Pekan MP said that the anti-hopping law might worsen a situation where an MP might be fonder of another party but is forced to remain in his own party because the law does not permit it.
 
In a Facebook post, he said this would only lead to bigger problems between the individual and the party. 
 
“Banning MPs from jumping to other parties after winning the GE is not the solution.
 
“It is worse if there are MPs who are fond of other parties but have to be in their own party because they are not allowed to jump under the law,” he said.
 
He took a dig at Bersatu for wanting to pass such a law, saying that perhaps the party was afraid of losing its MPs to other parties.
 
The political party that has received the most party hoppers wants the anti-hopping act to be implemented immediately, “perhaps worried the frogs will jump again”, he said.
 
There is ongoing tension between Umno and Bersatu as the latter had poached a  number of Umno lawmakers after the last general election.
 
Najib instead suggested a recall election, which is practised in several Commonwealth countries whereby an MP who wants to change parties or is sacked will have to vacate the seat to make way for a by-election.
 
An anti-hopping law is one of the reforms being discussed between Pakatan Harapan leaders and new prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, purportedly in exchange for the opposition’s support in a motion of confidence in view of Ismail’s slim parliamentary majority.
 
Currently, there are no anti-hopping laws in Malaysia because of Article 10 of the federal constitution, which allows for freedom of association. – August 30, 2021.