By Ida Nadirah Ibrahim
SHAH ALAM, Nov 23 — An amendment to the state constitution to penalise party-hopping representatives was brought to the Selangor State Legislative Assembly by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari on this morning.
The enactment of the Selangor Government State Constitution (Amendment) 2022 was tabled for its first reading by Amirudin.
The Sungai Tua state assemblyman said that the state administration had obtained advice from its legal adviser to amend Article 64 of the Selangor constitution.
He said that the law would ensure that any groups or individuals would not be given the opportunity to put their own interests above the interests of the state and the country.
“The amendment to the enactment would require the approval of the state assembly as it would ensure the continued stability of the state administration.
“The state government has received the views from its legal adviser, who stated that the amendment to Article 64 of the state constitution must be, tabled, and approved by the state assembly,” he said.
Amirudin said that the motion was tabled following the amendments to the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022 on Provisions Preventing Members of Parliament from Switching Parties — or better known as the Anti-Party Hopping Bill — at the Dewan Rakyat, which is to prevent from parliamentarians switching allegiances after a general election is held.
“At the state level, we have to carry out the standardisation process to further strengthen our democratic system so that the people would continue actively in determining the future of the state and the country and ensure that the the people’s representatives uphold the trusts place in them.
“With the general intention that the people’s trust and the integrity of the democratic system should be upheld, I hope that the enactment will be debated thoroughly and maturely by the state assemblymen who by examining every aspect so that we would implement a fair democratic system to all in bringing forth the direction and plans they have,” he said.
On July 28, the Anti-Hopping Bill, which came into effect on October 5, was passed unanimously at the Dewan Rakyat.
The law, which saw the constitutional amendment to ban MPs from jumping parties, was raised by both the ruling and opposition MPs after the Sheraton Move in February 2020, when several MPs “jumped ship” from their respective political parties and caused the fall of the Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) administration.
