Anti-hopping bill to be tabled during Ramadan sitting

 

PARLIAMENT | Putrajaya will hold a special Dewan Rakyat sitting during Ramadan to allow the passage of a bill to prevent elected lawmakers from defecting.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had informed the matter to the heads of three Pakatan Harapan component parties during a meeting in Parliament this afternoon.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who attended the meeting, said the bill will be refined by a bi-partisan technical committee soon.

"The prime minister has given his commitment to bring a constitutional amendment bill (to enact laws to discourage lawmakers from defecting).

"(As for Harapan) we are fully committed to cooperate and ensure that the constitutional amendment is passed to prevent further defections," said Loke.

According to Ismail Sabri's confidence-and-supply agreement with Harapan, Putrajaya has to ensure the passage of two laws during the first sitting of the Dewan Rakyat for 2022.

Apart from the anti-defection law, another law is to limit the prime minister to a maximum term of 10 years.

The Dewan Rakyat will sit until Thursday. It is uncertain if the House has an option to not adjourn the sitting.

At the time of writing, the Dewan Rakyat speaker has not issued a notice to MPs for the special sitting. - Mkini