Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s move to retain 6 ex-Bersatu MPs’ seats may render anti-hopping law redundant, says Julau MP

Datuk Larry Sng

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, July 12: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s decision to retain the seats of six Members of Parliament (MPs) who have been stripped of their Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) membership may have rendered the whole exercise of passing the anti-hopping law redundant.

In stating this, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president and Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng said despite Johari being a dear friend, he believes that the latter’s decision sets a very dangerous precedence and will ultimately backfire on the current government.

“In 2021, myself and another Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MP from the opposition made the same move as those six Bersatu MPs and were sacked and heavily criticised by our former party members. We were labelled with all sorts of names in the process.

“In the interest of preventing MPs from shifting allegiance, an anti-hopping bill was enacted and passed.

“So for this very government and Parliament, which preaches principles to the high heavens, to break their own laws is rather disappointing,” he said in a statement recently.

Yesterday (July 11), Johari told the Dewan Rakyat that he was not a ‘postman’ merely informing the Election Commission of a vacant seat upon receiving notice from a political party.

“Whatever notice is submitted to me, I will study everything, including the statements and the constitutional amendments of Bersatu.

“Therefore, my decision remains where the seats are not deemed vacant,” he said.

Bersatu has recently sacked six MPs, namely Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), and Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

All of them were sacked by Bersatu for openly supporting the unity government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after Bersatu amended its constitution to prevent more MPs from switching allegiance and declaring support for other parties.

After reviewing the notices of cessation of their membership in Bersatu and their responses, Johari stated there were no grounds to declare their parliamentary seats vacant under Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution, which is commonly known as the anti-hopping law. — DayakDaily