Anti-Party Hopping Enactment to be BN's first agenda of the day - Hasni

JOHOR BAHRU: The Anti-Party Hopping Enactment will be the first agenda of the day for the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government if it gets a mandate from the people of Johor in the March 12 state election (PRN).

Johor BN chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the matter, which was BN's 5-point 'Ikhtiar BN Johor' in the Johor state election, would be the main political reform if BN wins the election.

"In our quest to transform politics, we will introduce and work so that the Anti-Party Hopping Enactment is the first agenda of the day.

"Once we take over, the leadership (will) introduce the Anti-Party Hopping Enactment," he told reporters after the launch of Ikhtiar BN Johor at Johor UMNO Liaison Committee Building, here today.

Apart from that, the BN government will also continue to provide allocations to opposition elected representatives through an annual allocation of RM200,000, equally to all 56 state assemblymen as one of BN government's political reforms.

"Whether it is the opposition or the government, they receive the same amount of allowance.

"Naturally, a small allocation for small projects for all 56 constituencies with no exception should be given to the elected representatives," said the Johor Menteri Besar.

Hasni, who is also the chairman of Johor UMNO liaison committee, added that the reforms could strengthen the 'check and balance' of a democratic government.

"This is important because it is pointless for us to have a 'Mr Yes Man' as an opposition. The people's representatives on the government side should continue to formulate programmes as they are supposed to while on the opposition side it should also be a 'check and balance'.

"This is one of the approaches that BN will take and this is what will be presented to the people," he said.

Apart from that, he said the BN government was committed, if given a two-thirds mandate, to propose new demarcations for areas with too many voters to ensure the effectiveness of elected representatives.

"We know many constituencies today have hundreds of thousands of voters. If there are 100,000 (voters) for one state assemblyman, it is impossible for the elected representative to please everyone.

"We have to look at this because, in the end, the elected representative must be able to be provided to the local community. So, the two-thirds mandate will give us an opportunity to rectify this," he said.

-- BERNAMA