KUCHING, July 30: The passing of the anti-party hopping bill means less democracy and reflects Malaysian elected representatives’ immaturity, opines political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan.
“First, it will be a sad day for democracy and freedom. The bill conscribes what elected members of Parliament can and cannot do.
“Hopefully, this is not the beginning of more prescription on behaviour of members of this legislature, the highest law-making body in the country.
“Second, it showed that Malaysian elected representatives are not the mature lot and cannot be trusted to carry out the people’s mandate,” he said in a statement yesterday (July 29).
He said the need for such a law shows that after almost 70 years of electoral experience, Malaysian lawmakers need to be regulated.
Pointing out a loophole in the bill, Dr Jayum said the passing of the bill also portrays short-sightedness of lawmakers from all divides.
He foresaw that the soon-to-be law that conscribes behaviours of people representatives would not end with only this bill.
“For example, what if an MP and a member of a political party decide to not vote according to party line, and instead exercise his or her conscience to vote for or against the issue independence of party.
“Can he or she then be considered to have crossed party line and therefore could be subjected to this anti-party hopping legislation?
“But he or she is not resigning from his or her political party only that his or her action is not in line with his party stand?” he questioned.
Dr Jayum said ambiguities in this proposed law will test the viability of the anti-party hopping legislation. — DayakDaily
