By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Nov 22: Repok assemblyman Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii believes that amending the Sarawak Constitution to include anti-hopping legislation is timely to ensure elected representatives comply with the Constitution or rules, as well as coalition discipline.
Huang stated this during his debate on the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2022, which was tabled by Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
“The amendment to the Sarawak Constitution is timely, and it will include anti-party-hopping law.
“Sarawakians choose their representatives carefully and support political candidates who fight for the rights of the people rather than for personal gain.
“Therefore, we do not want elected officials to switch parties after being elected,” he said, adding that he fully supported the bill.
Huang said Sarawak’s representatives have integrity and are responsible, and that the anti-party hopping legislation is intended to ensure that assemblymen follow the Constitution, rules, and coalition discipline.
“Sarawak requires strong and outspoken local parties and party candidates to represent Sarawak, which is present in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), in order for the needs of the State to be given full attention by the federal government.
“We want the people in charge in Sarawak to represent the people in the State Legislative Assembly; we do not want weak candidates to represent us because they are incapable of speaking up for Sarawak’s rights,” he asserted.
“The proposal to this amendment (Sarawak Constitution) was presented by the Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department on the first day of the conference.
“This is to align the State constitution with the federal constitution’s prohibition on changing parties, which was amended in August 2022.
“Well done to the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for this success.”
He emphasised that such amendments in Sarawak are to refine existing provisions in the Sarawak Constitution.
“Among the three main terms in the term ‘party-hopping’, refers to an assemblyman who wins an election, then announces his departure from a political party and becomes an independent representative or joins another political party.
“If this situation occurs, any other assemblyman can give notice to Tan Sri Speaker, to enable Tan Sri Speaker to notify the Election Commission about the vacancy of elected representatives for the area involved. Elections will be held within sixty days,” he added.
Furthermore, Huang stated that if a people’s representative who stood as an independent or the party that wins the election joins another party, he is considered to be in conflict with the people’s trust.
“This is because the election is due to a person running as an Independent candidate or a represented party, and the people may have rejected other candidates from the party he joined during the election.
“If the assemblyman joins any party, the election must be held again as subject to Clause 1 Article 16B of this bill,” he pointed out.
Huang then posed the question of whether a party’s merger with another party or a party’s desire to withdraw from a large coalition constitutes party hopping.
The Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2022, which seeks to prevent party-hopping by assemblymen, was passed in the DUN sitting today. — DayakDaily
