Christopher Lidom and Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, July 16: The tabling of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill in the coming Parliamentary session this month will see MPs who resign from their parties being allowed to contest again at elections, says Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
MPs who resign from their parties are currently prohibited from contesting in elections for a period of five years.
Lukanisman, who is a member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee set up to make recommendations regarding the Bill said beginning this week, the Committee will conduct engagement sessions with all government and Opposition MPs to explain the importance of the constitutional amendment and introduction of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
“The foundation of the draft is to ensure that the new Federal government formed after the 15th General Election (GE15) will be stable and not have any issues involving the action of MPs who decide to leave the party.
“I believe the Bill amendment will receive full support from the MPs although we heard that there are some MPs who are reluctant to accept several conditions, but the basis of this amendment is that we will allow MPs who leave (their party) to contest again.
“This means the Article 48(6) of the constitution will be repealed among other things,” he told reporters after attending a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth wing meeting held at PBB headquarters here today.
The Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 14th Parliament will begin this Monday (July 18) and the anti-party hopping Bill is proposed for debate on July 27 and 28.
Meanwhile, nine Bills are expected to be tabled at this Parliament session for the second and third reading namely the National Forestry (Amendment) Bill 2022, Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021, Offenders Compulsory Attendance (Amendment) Bill 2021, Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill 2021, the Malaysian Border Security Agency (Dissolution) Bill 2021, Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2022, Control of Padi and Rice (Amendment) Bill 2022, East Coast Economic Region Development Council (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill.
Lukanisman also said among other matters to be discussed in Parliament will be the smoking ban and prescribed cannabis in market.
“One of the matters that will probably come up at this parliamentary session is whether the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Transformation and Political Stability signed between the federal government and Pakatan Harapan in September last year, will be continued or terminated this coming July 21,” he added. — DayakDaily
