Sabah to table Anti-Party Hopping Bill in State Assembly - Hajiji

KENINGAU - The Sabah government will present the constitutional amendment bill in relation to the Anti-Party Hopping in a special State Legislative Assembly sitting soon.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the matter has been agreed upon by the state Cabinet to bring it to the State Assembly after the Dewan Rakyat passed the constitutional amendment preventing elected representatives from changing parties, recently.

He said the move was in line with the state government's commitment to create political stability in Sabah after facing an uncertain political situation for a long time.

"We support the anti-party hopping law and we will present it in the state assembly soon. What happened in the past is in the past, now we want political stability in Sabah.

"The Cabinet has agreed to bring the constitutional amendment to the special state assembly sitting to have the anti-party hopping law so that we can sleep well.

"We no longer have to look out or jump here and there. Whatever that has happened is enough, we want political stability," he said after launching the Keningau Parliament Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) tour programme, here, on Sunday.

It was the first tour after it was launched in May.

Also present were supreme council members of GRS component parties from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Bersatu, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) and Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Sabah Bersatu (Usno).

Hajiji, who is also GRS chairman said Sabah did not want to be left behind to have its own anti-party hopping law after the bill on the matter was passed in Parliament.

"We don't need to jump around (parties) anymore," he said.

Meanwhile, he said GRS welcomed the participation of local parties who wish to join the coalition.

"GRS is a new political alignment that unites local leaders and parties to jointly develop Sabah in line with the aspirations and mandate of the people.

"The time has come for the people of Sabah to determine the future of the state through GRS. We need to unite for the sake of the people and the state of Sabah," he said.