Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CU)_ In a major attempt to address the current political instability and in response to a string of defections that have triggered political uncertainty in recent years, Malaysia has introduced a new rule barring elected MPs from switching political parties. As national elections are anticipated to be scheduled before the September 2023 date, the new law might be vital for ensuring stability.
Since February 2020, two coalition administrations have fallen in Malaysia, owing to legislators switching parties but keeping their seats in parliament. Under the proposed law, a politician who decides to switch parties after being elected would forfeit his or her seat in the legislature. The bill was passed by the lower house of parliament with a two-thirds majority.
According to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s statement, “This… is important to ensure long-term political stability”. The bill is anticipated to be introduced in the upper house in August, and if passed, it will come into force immediately thereafter. Since 2020, Malaysia has had three prime ministers, adding to the instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn.
According to Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun, 209 members backed the measure, while 11 parliamentarians were absent. Further, no politician voted against the bill. According to Ismail Sabri’s statement in parliament, “Party hopping, defection or floor crossing, has caused a lot of debate among the general public. This is because it involves the mandate or trust of the people who elect their representatives in parliament.”
According to Awang Azman Awang Pawi, an associate professor at University Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, “The anti-hopping bill is expected to at least help ease Malaysia’s political turmoil but will not be able to realistically end it. There is still room in the bill that can be manipulated. In fact, when making the bill, many members of parliament who jumped parties were also involved in the process.”
