PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should call the general election after all states have amended their respective state constitutions to enact the anti-party hopping law to ensure uniformity, consistency and certainty, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said.

According to Lim, said Ismail should insist state governments under Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional to amend their respective state constitutions to enact the new law.

“It is incumbent on Ismail to give effect to the anti-party hopping law nationally by withholding the general election until this historic piece of legislation permeates every administrative body and infuses a new reformist spirit in future elected representatives,” he said in a statement today.

Lim said he had discussed with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that all three states under Pakatan Harapan – Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan – would amend the respective state constitutions to incorporate the new law.

Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat passed the anti-party hopping bill by division vote with a more than two-thirds majority. 

Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said all 209 lawmakers present supported the bill, while 11 were absent. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the bill will be brought to Dewan Negara on August 9 to be endorsed and then presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for royal assent.

“All MPs in attendance supported the bill, we hope to have it gazetted by September 1.”

Lim said all states should adopt a uniform set of laws, consistent with the federal constitution.

He said this would cleanse the country’s political framework of dishonest opportunists who are willing to sell off their principles and betray the people’s mandate in pursuit of wealth and political posts.

“Wan Junaidi had indicated that the amendment may be gazetted after the Senate sits on August 9. 

“However, he is still awaiting the Federal Court’s ruling on Nordin Saleh’s precedent case submitted by the Penang government on the constitutionality of Penang’s anti-party hopping law amended in 2012.

“Further, some time is needed for consultations to be held by the federal government with the respective state governments and no definite time frame has been set.”

Yesterday, Wan Junaidi said the law also applies to assemblymen through a proposed amendment of the eighth schedule of the federal constitution.

“This amendment allows for all state legislatures to amend their constitutions to prevent assemblymen from jumping to other parties.

“However, the changes can only be made with the consent of the king.”

Lim added that the long struggle of the opposition to clean up Malaysian politics took a giant leap forward by consigning political frogs to the dustbin.

“Let us fulfil this historic mission by cloaking the anti-party hopping legislation with the force of law, imbued with a new moral force of political integrity and accountability.

“To restore the people’s faith that their vote has so powerful a value that it cannot be bought and sold.” – July 29, 2022.