Anti-hopping law has flaws, allows MPs to 'hop' parties - Khaliq
SHAH ALAM - Loopholes in the anti-hopping law allows Members of Parliament (MPs) to switch parties without facing consequences, says a former assemblyman.
Bertam former assemblyman Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq said the flaws in Malaysia's anti-hopping law, allow MPs to switch parties without facing consequences.
He said this has led to accusations of political manipulation and betrayal of voters' trust, prompting growing calls for reform.
"The fact that opposition MPs are throwing their support to the Prime Minister clearly shows that the anti-hopping law, which was passed in Parliament, has a lot of flaws to it.
"Due to these flaws, you see that these 'political frogs' can still take advantage, can throw their support to the other side for their own advantage and disregard the party's stance.
"This is very bad actually and I don't agree to this. Something needs to be done, the anti-hopping law needs to be tightened up to prevent MPs from exploiting it for personal gain," he told Sinar Daily.
He added that the anti-hopping law was introduced to prevent elected representatives from switching parties during their term, safeguarding the integrity of the political system and the trust of the electorate.
"However, the recent cases of MPs crossing party lines without facing repercussions have exposed the shortcomings of the legislation," he said.
Besides, he said the government, led by the Prime Minister, should not entice the MPs to change their allegiance in order to secure allocations and funding for their respective constituencies.
"This practice has raised questions about the government's commitment to upholding equal rights for all MPs, regardless of whether they belong to the government or the opposition.
"It's also a kind of manipulation whereby these MPs are exploiting the anti-hopping law to their advantage.
"The Prime Minister and the government should not be enticing MPs to switch sides merely to gain access to allocation and funding for their constituencies.
"Let’s be fair, this government used to fight for equal rights for all MPs, regardless whether they are in the government or opposition. Now, since they are in power they are not keeping their word, this is also a betrayal of people’s trust,” he said.
He added that the consequences of this political maneuvering are far-reaching, as it erodes the foundation of democracy and undermines the faith that voters place in their elected representatives.
“Citizens who voted for their MPs with the expectation that they would uphold party principles and deliver on their campaign promises are left feeling excluded.
"So, this is unfair for the people who voted for them, you know, who gave them the trust.
"This is not good, and something needs to be done to rectify the situation,” he said.
Over the past months, four opposition MPs pledged their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The four were Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain, Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim and Jeli MP Zahari Kechik.
