THE new version of the anti-party hopping bill submitted to the Dewan Rakyat today protects MPs who are sacked by their political parties but will see those who quit of their own accord lose their seats.

The revised bill also allows elected lawmakers who lose their seats to seek re-election, thus removing the constitutional provision barring them from standing for elections for five years if they resign.

The bill, placed on MPs’ tables today with debate expected next week, is for amendments to the Federal Constitution and not a standalone piece of legislation.

The amendments include the addition of a new article, 49A, that specifies the conditions when an MP loses his or her seat.

This will happen if an MP quits the political party they contested with, or if an MP was an independent when elected but decides to join a political party.

The new article 49A also stipulates the circumstances when an MP does not lose his or her seat – such as if they are sacked by their party, or if their party is dissolved or deregistered.

An MP also will not lose his or her seat if he or she resigns after being elected as Dewan Rakyat speaker.

Similarly, the eighth schedule of the Federal Constitution will be amended so that the same provisions can apply to assemblymen in state legislative assemblies.

Article 48’s clause 6, which bars an MP who resigns from standing for elections for five years, will also be deleted so that voters can decide an MP’s mandate after they quit or change parties.

In explanatory notes on the amendments, scenarios given show that if two parties merge to form a new party, their respective MPs do not lose their seats.

And if a political party is dissolved in order to join another party, its MPs also do not have to vacate their seats.

There has been widespread support for an anti-party hopping law, although the drafting of its details was fraught with disagreement from various parties, especially those involved in the Sheraton Move in 2020, which formed the Perikatan Nasional government that took over Putrajaya through party hopping.

However, the passing of these constitutional amendments will require two-thirds of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat to agree. – July 18, 2022.