PH supports Constitution amendments, wants draft of anti-party hopping bill expedited

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) has pledged its support for a Federal Constitution amendment bill which is scheduled for tabling in a special Dewan Rakyat sitting on Monday to facilitate the formulation of the Anti-Party Hopping Act.

The PH presidential council, in a statement today, however, said its main condition for support is that the draft of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill should be expedited.

It said this matter was stressed by the Steering Committee on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which met yesterday, and Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also conveyed this PH stand to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.

"Therefore, we urge the prime minister to state his commitment that the Anti-Party Hopping Bill will be tabled for approval in Parliament in the near future, while a date for a second special sitting should be fixed and announced in Parliament on April 11," the statement said.

The statement was signed by PKR president Anwar, Amanah president Mohd Sabu, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and UPKO president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

The PH presidential council also reiterated its firm stand that approval of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill in Parliament is among the main terms of the MoU on Transformation and Political Stability signed between the government and PH.

It is very clear that PH would not compromise on this matter, it added.

It urged the minister responsible for tabling the Constitutional amendments on Monday to explain clearly in Parliament the basic principles of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill, which is scheduled to be tabled and approved in the second special sitting.

The media had earlier reported Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar as saying that the Anti-Party Hopping Bill would not be tabled at Monday's special sitting.

However, Wan Junaidi, in a statement issued with joint chairman of the Steering Committee Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yesterday, said the special sitting would proceed on Monday to table and debate the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill on Anti-Party Hopping will be tabled, debated and approved at another special sitting to be fixed later.

-- BERNAMA