Anti-party hopping bill draft finalised - Wan Junaidi

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bill Prohibiting Members of Parliament from Switching Parties (Amendment) (No. 3) 2022 draft has been finalised and recommended to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be tabled in the special parliamentary sitting in the first week of July.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the matter was unanimously agreed in the special select committee meeting on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No.3) 2022 and the provision involving Prohibition of Members of Dewan Rakyat from Changing Parties Number 6 Year 2022, yesterday (June 7).

According to Wan Junaidi, who is also the committee chairman, the meeting had finalised the bill draft to be tabled and debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said in that regard, five fundamental issues raised by the Cabinet during the June 1 meeting were answered by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee in yesterday's meeting.

"The Parliamentary Special Select Committee's feedback on the matter will be brought to the next Cabinet meeting as a Cabinet Note," he said in a statement here today.

Wan Junaidi informed that the final meeting on the matter wouldd be held soon to confirm the Parliamentary Special Select Committee Statement.

He said in general, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee had successfully implemented the terms of reference as per the motion approved on April 11.

"This is the result of a joint commitment by all committee members and the strong support of the Malaysian Parliament, the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department and the Attorney-General's Chambers," he said.

It was previously reported that the bill is expected to be tabled as early as mid-July, when the Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 14th Parliament begins on July 18.

If the bill is tabled and passed at the July sitting, it could be gazetted as early as January next year.

-- BERNAMA