Definition of 'party hopping' needs to be fine-tuned, says PN
SHAH ALAM - Perikatan Nasional (PN) fully supports the anti-hopping bill but wants the definition of "party-hopping" to be fine-tuned, says its secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
He said the coalition welcomed the bill and pledged its support for the proposed constitutional amendment during its April 4 engagement with law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
However, he said to ensure that the constitutional amendment can achieve its goal, there needs to be an agreement on a clearer definition of the term ‘hopping’ in all legal instruments that will be introduced by the government
“In our April 6 meeting, the Cabinet agreed that Article 10(3) of the Federal Constitution needed to be amended first to make room for MPs to enact an anti-hopping law that is more organised, detailed and acceptable to all," he said in a statement today, adding that it was a prudent and responsible decision by the government.
Yesterday, his party colleague Wan Saiful Wan Jan denied reports claiming that Bersatu was against the recall election provision in the draft of the anti-hopping bill.The Bersatu information chief highlighted that the party’s supreme council member Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who is the deputy law minister, played an important role in preparing the draft bill.
The anti-hopping bill, which was scheduled to be tabled in a special Dewan Rakyat sitting on April 11, has been deferred once more.
However, Wan Junaidi said the special Dewan Rakyat sitting next Monday would go ahead with the tabling of a constitutional amendment to facilitate the tabling of the anti-hopping bill.
