DAP is planning to amend its constitution to provide for any MP or state assemblyman defying the party’s decisions on certain key matters to be stripped of their membership.

Its secretary-general Anthony Loke said the proposed amendment, to be tabled at a special congress on September 25, was aimed at plugging what he described as “loopholes” in the anti-party hopping bill approved by the Dewan Rakyat on July 28.

“There are views that the amendments approved in parliament last week are not sufficient to prevent party-hopping because an MP who is sacked by his party (and joins another party) is not considered to have switched parties and need not vacate his seat.

“We see this as a loophole which needs to be closed as we are worried that MPs planning to defect would not resign but would do things to lead to their sacking in order to avoid vacating their seats,” he told a press conference at the DAP national headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Loke said this matter would involve situations concerning key party policy decisions to be taken in the Dewan Rakyat, such as the appointment of the prime minister and national budget vote.

He said the proposed amendment to the party’s constitution was aimed at ensuring the party’s effectiveness.   

“For example, if there is a motion that we need to oppose but some of our MPs support it, then the party’s effectiveness would be undermined,” he said.

He said a party constitution amendment committee headed by Stampin MP, Chong Chieng Jen, would be tasked with studying the matter in detail before the proposed amendment is presented to the central executive committee (CEC) within a month.

The Dewan Rakyat last week approved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022 on provisions preventing MPs from switching parties by more than two-thirds majority. – Bernama, August 3, 2022.