THE Malacca state legislative assembly today passed the Malacca State Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2023 related to anti-party hopping. 

Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh said this follows parliament’s amendment of Sections 6 and 7 of the 8th Schedule of the Federal Constitution through Section 6 of the Constitution Amendment Act 2022 (Act A1663), which came into effect on October 5, 2022. 

He said the amendment of Section 6 of Act A1663 had removed Subsection 5 of Section 6 in the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution, where prior to the enforcement of the amendment, state assemblymen who resigned would be disqualified from rejoining the assembly for a period of five years from the date of resignation. 

“In simple language, after this amendment comes into force, any assemblyman who resigns will no longer be barred from recontesting a state seat, while the amendment to Section 7 of Schedule 8 of Act A1663 has included a new section, Section 7A, which prohibits assemblymen from changing parties. 

“The Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution contains essential provisions that need to be included in the constitution of any state, therefore the Malacca state government also took steps to amend the Malacca State Constitution to harmonise the laws of the state of Malacca with the laws at federal level to bring a new dimension to politics in our country,” he said in Ayer Keroh today. 

The bill was approved after receiving the support of 24 assemblymen while four others were absent. – Bernama, July 31, 2023.