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The Prime Minister expressed his willingness to discuss with the opposition how to close the loophole in the law.
(FMT) – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government was willing to amend anti-hopping laws to plug any existing loopholes.
“If you (opposition) want to amend the anti-hopping law, we can discuss it. It is not a problem,” he told reporters after Friday prayers.
Anwar reiterated that when the anti-hopping law was being drafted, Pakatan Harapan had insisted that anyone expelled from a party should automatically lose their parliamentary membership.
“However, at that time, Bersatu (which was part of the government at the time) did not agree to do this because they were recruiting Umno members,” he said.
The amendment to Article 49A of the Federal Constitution, commonly known as the anti-hopping law, came into effect in October 2022 as part of a reform deal reached between the then Ismail Sabri Yaakob government and the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition.
The push for the law gained momentum after several PKR lawmakers joined the Bersatu-led uprising against the Pakatan Harapan government, which collapsed in February 2020.
Umno, in particular, suffered multiple flaws after Barisan Nasional lost the 2018 general election, including Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin, Masjid MP Mas Elmiati Samsudin and then Jeli MP Mustafa Mohamad quitting the party and eventually joining Bersatu.
On Wednesday, PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hasan Karim criticised Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Adu for not vacating the six seats held by “rogue” former Bersatu MPs.
Hassan accused his party colleagues of taking decisions based on partisan political interests and disrespecting parliament.
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