KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) top guns today pledged their commitment to supporting the soon-to-be tabled Federal Constitution (Amendments) 2022 Bill on Anti-Party Hopping and Limiting the Tenure of the Prime Minister, after a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob this morning.
In a statement, the leaders from PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) said that the meeting was held to ascertain the status of the Bill, scheduled for tabling at a special sitting on April 11.
“The prime minister gave his commitment that there will be no changes to the notice on the special meeting of the Dewan Rakyat scheduled for April 11, 2022, as had been distributed to members of Parliament.
“The Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council gave its commitment that all PH MPs will lend their support for the purpose of approving this constitutional amendment.
“The Opposition Leader also raised the issue of MySejahtera which is owned by a foreign company. This issue needs to be explained fully to the Dewan Rakyat,” the statement read.
The statement was undersigned by PKR president and Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; newly-elected DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke; Amanah president Mohamad Sabu; and Upko president Datuk Seri Madius Tangau.
On March 18, the government announced that it will be postponing the tabling of the Bill from its initial deadline of March 24, the last day of the first Parliament sitting for 2022.
In a statement, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the decision was made after the Cabinet determined that more input was needed from stakeholders, “particularly” Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
He added that this was to guarantee the Bill garners the adequate two-thirds majority support needed to amend the Federal Constitution, once it is tabled in Parliament.
Previously, Wan Junaidi had promised on several occasions this year that the Bill would be tabled during the current Parliament session, and on February 24 even announced his confidence that it would be passed based on stakeholder engagement sessions.
The Bill has been a major point of interest for the Opposition, especially as PH signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government abstaining from various challenges to the government rule, in return for several concessions including the passing of a Bill to deter party-hopping.
