The Constitution (Amendment) (No.3) Bill that prohibits MPs from switching parties will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah for royal assent soon.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said after it is approved by the monarch, the bill would be gazetted for implementation according to the targeted timeline, which is the first week of September.
"After receiving royal assent, the bill will be returned to the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and the Attorney-General's Chamber to be formatted and the new bill format will again be presented to His Majesty for a second approval," he told a press conference today.
Once the royal assent is received, Wan Junaidi said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will issue a notification letter to all menteri besar and chief ministers to inform the states of the amendments to the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
This will allow all state legislative assemblies to amend their state constitutions by including the provisions prohibiting elected leaders from switching parties, to be in line with the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution as approved in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
"We want the states to follow our format accordingly so that the federal and state laws are the same.
"We are just worried that a difference in wordings will give rise to conflicting interpretation between the federal and state laws,” Wan Junaidi said.
He said engagement sessions with the states will be held to standardise the legislation with federal law under Article 71 of the Federal Constitution.
The Dewan Rakyat on July 28 passed the proposed anti-party hopping bill with more than a two-thirds majority.
On Aug 9, the bill obtained the support of 52 out of 60 senators at Dewan Negara after two bloc votes.
- Bernama
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