KUALA LUMPUR:Malaysians want the government to enact an Anti-Party Hopping law to overcome political instability in the country.

According to a survey conducted by the Center for Governance and Political Studies (Cent-GPS), 50 per cent of respondents believe that the current political crisis can be avoided with the implementation of the law.

“Meanwhile, 37 percent said maybe (for the need to implement an Anti-Party Hopping law) and 12 percent said there was no need for such a law.

"When asked if the current political crisis was the result of members of parliament (MP) hopping (party), 53 per cent agreed, 37 percent was unsure and 10 per cent did not agree," Cent-GPS said in a statement.

According to the survey, 46 percent of respondents said they had lost interest in politics due to party hopping practices among MPs.

"Meanwhile, 36 percent of respondents said they were slightly interested as a result of being influenced by the practice while 18 percent said no.

"Asked if the practice of MPs hopping party affected them, only 14 percent said yes, 48 percent said quite a bit and 38 percent believed that party hopping did not affect them much," it said.

Punishment for MPs who jump parties 

When asked what kind of punishment should be imposed if an MP jumps a party, the Cent-GPS survey found that 43 percent agreed that such MPs should be banned from contesting in the next election.

"34 percent think such MPs should immediately vacate their seats, 14 percent believe they should be fined while eight per cent said the MPs involved should be jailed," it said.

If party hopping practices are allowed to continue, Cent-GPS said, politicians will prioritise their popularity and short-term policies while policies that benefit the country in the long run will be set aside.

The survey that involved 1,100 individuals nationwide was conducted to assess the level of acceptance, demands and understanding of Malaysians related to party hopping practices and anti-party hopping law.

The survey was conducted from November 19 to December 10, involving 56 per cent of female respondents and 44 per cent of men, from various ages and backgrounds.

Earlier, the Malaysia Association of Accredited Fraud Examiners president, Datuk Seri Akhbar Satar called for the enactment of Anti-Party Hopping law to overcome the "political pandemic" in the country.