The Malaysian Insight

PENGERANG MP Azalina Othman Said met with the governor of Malacca yesterday to discuss a hybrid bill that will be tabled in Parliament soon to prevent party-hopping after the state polls.

Governor Mohd Ali Rustam said in a statement that Azalina strongly believes a state-level hybrid bill would be helpful to the Malacca elections to avoid post-election political instability, encourage voters to cast their votes and reinstate confidence in the democratic system.

The hybrid bill has two main goals, which is to sack elected representatives who party hop and allow for voters to call for a recall election when their elected representatives jump ship.

The former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker said introducing this bill will prevent politicians from party-hopping after the Malacca snap polls.

Former chief minister Idris Haron (Sg Udang-BN), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor-BN), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas-PN) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu-Ind) withdrew support for Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali earlier this month, leading to the collapse of the state government.

Malacca will go to the polls on November 20, with nomination day set for November 8.

Azalina also urged the people of Malacca to support the party that is committed to tabling this bill in Parliament.

“In order for this act to be implemented, the state constitution needs to be amended and this can only be done if a party wins a two-third majority.”

Azalina said political parties contesting in Malacca can also include this bill as part of their election manifesto and vow not to accept political frogs.

At the same time, she said, candidates contesting in the state elections can reach an agreement that there will be no party hopping after the snap polls.

She also assured voters that if they continue to support representatives despite them party hopping, then any petition for a recall election will not be entertained.

Even if an elected representative is fired, she said, they can still contest in the next state election to win back the people’s mandate.

On September 3, Azalina had also submitted a notice to table her private members’ bill with regard to anti-hopping.

Subsequently, on September 13, the government agreed under the memorandum of understanding it signed with the opposition to include anti-party hopping as part of its promised reforms, with the proposed laws to be tabled at the first meeting of Parliament next year.

Azalina, however, has asked that the proposed bill be fast-tracked to prevent more party hopping from taking place. – November 3, 2021.