KOTA KINABALU, Aug 20 - The Sabah government needs to re-instate the repealed anti-party hopping provisions into its Constitution following the passing of the law at the national level, said opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
The Parti Warisan president said the anti-hopping provisions were already in the State Constitution in 1986 during the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) administration but the Sabah Barisan Nasional government had on November 9, 1995 repealed several articles after they came into power.
"The repealed articles could be put back into the state constitution and if need be adjusted to be in line with the federal Anti Hopping Act that will be gazetted in September,” he said when speaking to reporters after a public gathering at a coffeeshop in Foh Sang here.
The Senallang assemblyman said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor should be following the lead of his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Muhyiddin Yassin who pushed for the law at the national level.
"There is no reason for the state hold back the convening of the State Assembly to have the anti-hopping laws in place with gazetting of the federal law.
"If they are sincere about stopping the culture of jumping, Hajiji should immediately put the law in place for the state together with the federal law," he said referring to the silence of the state government on a date for tabling the anti-hop law in assembly.
The two anti-hopping articles that were repealed were Article 18(2) (d) and (e).
The then PBS government inserted two provisions ie Art 18(2)(d) in the Sabah Constitution vide Enactment 3/86 that reads:
"(d) he resigns or is expelled from, or for any reason whatsoever ceases to be a member of, the political party of which he is a member."
Another provision Art 18(2)(e) was inserted vide Enactment 18/92 that reads:
"(e) he is expelled by the Assembly for conduct unfit for membership of the Assembly, for unbecoming behaviour or, in the case of an elected member, for abuse or betrayal of mandate given to him by the electorate of his constituency."
Shafie however said that it would not be easy for assemblymen to cross the floor once the federal law was in place.
Meanwhile, asked to comment on DAP's statement that they were still willing work with Warisan despite recent issues, Shafie said that the party was focusing on its party machinery and indicated that any collaboration perhaps could be looked at after the general election.
Shafie pointed out that Pakatan Harapan had made many pre-election promises prior to GE14 to honour the 40 per cent return of state revenue and increase of oil royalty to 20 per cent but they did not while in power.
"We are now focused in strengthening its Sabah base and was ready to work with local parties like Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS),” he said.
