PUTRAJAYA, July 12 — Bersatu’s decision not to amend its constitution previously to be in line with the anti-hopping law is to blame for its problems with six MPs who subsequently declared support for the government, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said.

He said Bersatu leaders Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin chose not to close the loophole before the MPs’ decision.

"Tan Sri Muhyiddin could have amended their party constitution like DAP and Umno (before the 15th general election) because all DAP, Umno and PKR members know that they are bound by the party constitution in this regard, it’s different with Bersatu.

"Among all the parties, Bersatu was the one who rejected the anti-party hopping law the most, they didn’t want to agree with a bulk of the amendments brought by the law minister at the time, now Tun Wan Junaidi (Tun Wan Junaidi Tuan Jaafar),” Fahmi told a press conference at his ministry here today.

He said Bersatu was now paying the price of its previous resistance to the law.

Last month, Bersatu stripped the six MPs and two state lawmakers of membership for alleged insubordination, and used this to have their seats vacated.

It did so after it amended its party constitution earlier this year to plug the specific loophole.

While it succeeded in doing so in Nenggiri, Kelantan, it failed in the others including the six in Parliament.