KUCHING, Feb 24: If legislators cannot keep their moral standing in check, laws such as the anti-party hopping law will do it for them, says Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
He said Malaysia has seen the unhealthy political trend of legislators switching allegiances during their terms which defeats the people’s mandate and breaches the voters’ trust, and thus such a law is not only necessary, but should also be expedited.
“All the while we leave it to the politicians to manifest their matured allegiance to any political block.
“If these allegiances are getting loose, then the law has to come in to curb the menace, constitutionally,” he said.
Snowdan said the anti-party hopping law would be a cushion to restore political instability and overstay.
This is because an elected representative loses the seat if he or she resigns from the original party, moves to another party or gets expelled from the original party, he explained.
“Some argue it’s a violation of human rights values as in the case of an independent candidate where no party entity is involved, but personal. But frequent party hopping tarnishes political principles.
“The worst repercussions of party hopping is that it could lead to the downfall of the government. Malaysia, for example, has had three Prime Minister’s in the last three years,” he said in a statement today.
Snowdan, who is also Balai Ringin assemblyman, believed that the tabling of the anti-party hopping law in the coming parliamentary sitting will see a two-thirds majority. — DayakDaily
