Don’t apply anti-hopping law to political parties, says DAP MP

 

Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham said it would be difficult for an anti-hopping law to be imposed on parties that switched coalitions or formed new alliances.

KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP MP says the anti-hopping bill that is in the works should only apply to individual MPs or state assemblymen and not political parties.

Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) said among the issues faced in the bill was how it would be difficult for an anti-hopping law to be imposed on parties that switched coalitions or formed new alliances.

“Since it’s difficult for the law to punish parties that betray the people’s mandate, let political parties have the freedom to form any new coalition. If they feel it’s the right decision, let time tell and allow the rakyat to punish them.

“For example, Bersatu, which was loved and respected by Pakatan Harapan (PH), betrayed PH and made friends with our enemies, including Umno.

“Now, we see that they have been rejected by Umno, but it is now difficult for us to accept them if they want to return to PH,” he told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the constitutional amendment bill today.

He added that political parties had sufficient internal controls to determine a party’s decision to form new coalitions, while many other countries gave parties the freedom to form political alliances.

Ngeh proposed that an additional amendment be added to the bill, specifically stating that all MPs and state assemblymen agree that “restricting their association with other political parties or their members” shall not be considered as infringing their freedom of association. - FMT