Politicians face serious repercussions, including loss of MP seat if party hop - Experts
SHAH ALAM - Politicians should exercise extra caution if they intend to party hop, as they stand to face serious repercussions, including hefty penalties and the loss of seats if they are elected members of parliament.
Party bonds would usually include provisions that forbid elected officials from defecting to another party or voting against the party's policies, says lawyer Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo.
She added that if an elected official violates a party bond, the party may sue them or take other disciplinary steps.
Asked if this has happened before, she said there have been several incidents involving politicians in the country.
"Pakatan Harapan (PH) has sued four of its MPs who defected to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in 2018.
"The PH government claimed that by defecting, MPs had also breached their contracts with the party and should be held accountable for damages, and the investigation is still ongoing," Kokilah said.
She also added that the consequences of party hopping could also be serious offences.
"On July 28, 2022, Parliament passed the Malaysian anti-hopping law, whereby MPs are not allowed to move parties within a year after the general election.
"If a MP violates this provision, they will be removed from Parliament and a by-election will be held.
"This could have a tremendous impact on stability and ultimately lead to the government's demise. Adding that, party-hopping can harm an MP's reputation in addition to the legal consequences," she added.
Kokila also said politicians who switch parties may lose the trust of the people, which may make it harder for the MP to be re-elected in future elections.
The National Council of Professors senior fellow Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Halim Sidek also echoed similar sentiments, stating that in a two-party agreement, terms and conditions were agreed upon by signing them.
"When it is breached, the other party has the authority to take legal action, and yes, this is a textbook case of an association, a political party, breaching its agreement," Abdul explained.
