PARLIAMENT | Only seven out of Malaysia's 13 state assemblies have enacted anti-hopping laws, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
To date, Johor, Kedah, Malacca, Pahang, Sabah and Terengganu have not amended their laws to reflect similar laws that have been imposed on MPs.
Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman Said said the law makes it optional for states to have such laws.
"Provisions under Section 6 of Act A1663 provide room for the state governments or legislative assemblies to decide whether to adopt (federal level) anti-hopping laws by amending the state constitution, contingent upon the agreement of the ruler or governor," she said.
Azalina was responding to Hassan Abdul Karim (Harapan - Pasir Gudang) who asked the government to state what was being done to convince all 13 states to adopt "anti-hopping" laws.
Sabah has been hit by a string of defections since December as lawmakers elected on either a BN or Warisan tickets - the state opposition - are switching allegiances to back the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
On July 28, 2022, the then -Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration passed a bill aimed at discouraging MPs from switching parties.
The key feature of the bill was the introduction of Article 49A, which stipulates that an MP will cease to be a member of the Dewan Rakyat on two conditions which are:
The MP "resigns" from or "ceases to be a member of" the political party that he or she was a member of upon being elected; or,
The MP, having been elected while being a member of a political party, joins a different political party.
The new law will also apply to MPs without a party membership upon being elected but subsequently, joining a political party.
However, the law only applies to MPs. State assemblies had to adopt the said federal legislation before it could be applied to assemblypersons.
Penang was an unusual case because it had already enacted and enforced very similar laws since 2012. - Mkini
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