KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 – Much is owed to the Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang, for the passing of the historic anti-party hopping Bill that was passed in Parliament today, said DAP National Chairman Lim Guan Eng.
Kit Siang was the first MP who first proposed the anti-party hopping law in 1978, Guan Eng said in his address during the debate prior to the passing of the Bill in Parliament today. The Bill received 209 votes, more than two-thirds required for the passing of the bill.
Noting that the Penang state government had passed a constitutional amendment to stop party-hopping 10 years ago, the Bagan MP also said this “beginning of reform towards democracy in Malaysia must be also followed with outlawing political funding by placing the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commissioin under the Parliament.”
“While the constitutional amendment may not meet everyone’s expectations, it is a major move towards ensuring that the value of people’s votes is respected and the mandate given by them to MPs cannot be betrayed easily.”
As a party to signing the MOU with the Prime Minister, and finally bringing seeing the results is also a vindication for PH which had been accused by some factions of cooperating with the government and abandoning its principles and betraying the people, Guan Eng said.
He also hoped that the passing of the Bill, an incident like the Sheraton Move 2020 will not be repeated.
He also commended all the 42 DAP MPs who never resorted to party-hopping and held on to their mandate to continue serving the people.
Guan Eng also said all the constitutional amendments both Federal and State must be enacted before the 15th General election.
He also said efforts should continue to be taken to ensure that there are no loopholes for the opportunists to go around the Bill and get away with party-hopping.
The laws must be also standardised in all states so no confusion or different interpretations are made, he said, adding that PH will ensure that all the states under its rule, namely Selangor, Pulau Pinang and Negeri Sembilan will undertake the amendments to state constitutions in synch with the Federal Constitution.
On the push for MACC to be accountable to the Parliament, he said the anti-corruption agency had been for long used as a political weapon to ensure support for the government or to pressure opposition MPs to support the government.
Only when the MACC is independent from any political interference, the country will be cleared of money politics, he added.
–WE