Component parties bound by anti-hopping law, says Azalina

 

Former law minister Azalina Othman Said says the anti-hopping law does not differentiate between a political coalition and a political party.

PETALING JAYA: Component parties of a coalition are bound by the anti-hopping law and cannot leave the existing coalition, or its MPs will have to vacate their seats, says former law minister Azalina Othman Said.

In a statement, Azalina said the anti-hopping law implicitly allows parties to migrate en bloc from one coalition to another. However, she pointed out that it does not differentiate between a political coalition and a political party.

“The implication here is that if an existing political coalition competed under one logo and presented one manifesto in the general election, and more importantly, if these candidates obtained their watikah (appointment letter of candidates) to run for election directly from the leader of their respective political coalitions, these coalitions for all intent and purposes is a political party under the anti-hopping law.

“Thus, any component party which seeks to leave an existing political coalition as described above will have to vacate their seats for they have defected from a political party,” she said.

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