PM promises anti-party hopping Bill to be tabled in special Parliament sitting during Ramadan, says DAP sec-gen

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has given his commitment to calling for a special Parliament sitting to table and pass the anti-party hopping Bill, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said.

Loke said the prime minister, in a meeting with several Opposition leaders earlier today, said he would call for the special sitting during the month of Ramadan, which begins in early April.

“The prime minister has given his commitment that he will call for a special Parliament sitting during the fasting month, the latest will be before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

“The anti-party hopping Bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, to be debated and passed. So for us, as long as the government keeps its promise to bring the Bill to Dewan Rakyat, we will defend and maintain the MoU (memorandum of understanding),” Loke told reporters during a press conference after the Parliament sitting today.

He also said that the Opposition’s stand on the extension of the 28-day detention period under sub-section 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 does not affect the MoU between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the government.

The motion failed earlier when the Opposition bloc gained more votes against the government.

Earlier, Loke, along with Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail met the prime minister to discuss the anti-party hopping Bill.

At the same time, he acknowledged that today was the first time a motion tabled by the government failed in the Dewan Rakyat.

“It is a historic day today whereby a motion proposed by the government failed due to a lack of votes from its side.

“However, I would like to say that our decision to object to the motion does not affect the MoU between PH and the government as the motion has nothing to do with the MoU,” he said.

Yesterday, the Opposition coalition said it was ready to take to the streets if the anti-party hopping Bill was not tabled and passed within this Parliament sitting.

Mohamad had said that his party colleagues felt they were ignored when they addressed Parliament regarding the matter.

He added that PH was of the view that a healthy parliamentary democracy could not exist without the anti-party hopping law being in place.