GEORGE TOWN, Aug 18 — The Penang State Assembly should hold a special sitting soon to amend the State Constitution to bring it in line with Federal Constitution provisions on anti-party hopping, said DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng.
Lim suggested that the special sitting be held after the federal law to prevent MPs from switching parties was given royal assent and gazetted.
This will enable provisions on anti-party hopping to be enforced for state assemblymen in Penang when the general election is held, he said in a statement today.
“Implementing such anti-hopping laws for both parliamentary and state seats will increase the confidence of voters to come out and vote,” said Lim, who is also Air Putih state assemblyman.
Lim, who is Bagan MP, said DAP agreed with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar that all states should streamline their laws with the Federal Constitution on anti-party hopping.
“If these amendments are tabled in Penang, state assemblymen are expected to give their support with a majority of more than two-thirds,” he said.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill No. 3 2022 on preventing MPs from switching parties has been approved by both Houses of Parliament and will be presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah soon for his consent.
Wan Junaidi said according to the timeline for implementation of the bill, it was targeted for gazetting by the first week of September.
He said that after it had been gazetted into law, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob would write to all mentris besar and chief ministers to recommend that all states amend their state constitutions to bring them in line with the federal law. — Bernama
