Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has asked aloud if the delay in legislating laws to discourage MPs from defecting was due to sabotage.
“(The passage) of the ‘anti-hopping’ law will take a long time and is at risk of being delayed indefinitely. The delay suggests (that the government) was not serious and lacking in political will.
“Are saboteurs behind this delay?” asked Zahid on his Facebook page.
Umno has come up as a strong supporter of the so-called “anti-hopping” law, which Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob promised to legislate as part of his confidence-and-supply agreement with the Pakatan Harapan coalition signed last September.
Since 2018, both Umno and Harapan have been the victims of defections, losing 16 and 22 MPs respectively.
Zahid also claimed that the delay has frustrated Malaysians, who have been waiting for the law to be implemented – a frustration stemming from their loss of mandate when elected leaders jumped parties.
Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yesterday said the cabinet has deferred the tabling of the anti-party hopping bill slated for April 11.
The reason given was that the “party-hopping” definition needs more study.
“Yes, it has been deferred,” said Wan Junaidi, adding that the special parliamentary sitting will go ahead with the tabling of a constitutional amendment to facilitate the bill at a later date.
Zahid said the deferment is also a blow to Pakatan Harapan (PH), which signed a memorandum of understanding with the government.
“I have already stated that the agreement between PH and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob needs to be re-evaluated, as the former is not firm in getting the bill passed.”
It is time for Umno MPs in government to be firm in addressing the issue before it incites anger, he added. – TMI