SERDANG, July 14 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) Communications Director Fahmi Fadzil has refuted claims that the government is reluctant to declare vacant the six parliamentary seats and one state seat held by former Bersatu members due to fear of losing in the by-elections.

The minister of communications said that the government respects the provisions outlined in the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Act 2022 (Act A1663) or the Anti-Party Hopping Act.

“This is not a matter of being afraid or not afraid (of elections). This is about the Constitution,” he told reporters when met at the ‘Hari Peneroka 2024’ celebration here, last night.

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday alleged that the six parliamentary seats and the state seat held by their former members were not declared vacant because the Unity Government is afraid of facing defeat.

Muhyiddin claimed that because of this, the unity government is willing to violate the provisions of the Federal Constitution related to the Anti-Party Hopping Act, which they themselves advocated for.

On July 10, Muhyiddin said that he had received a letter from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul rejecting the party’s request for the six parliamentary seats to be declared vacant.

The six Members of Parliament involved in the issue are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang).

On Thursday, Selangor State Assembly Speaker Lau Weng San announced that there was no casual vacancy for the Selat Klang seat held by Bersatu’s Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari.

Commenting further, Fahmi, who is also the unity government spokesman, said the current social media debate on platforms like TikTok has reminded people of Muhyiddin’s statements during the Anti-Party Hopping Act debate, which clearly contradict his current approach.

“Muhyiddin (at that time) clearly stated that dismissal (of incumbents from a party) should not lead to the vacating of seats (Parliamentary seats) ... If we review Muhyiddin’s statements around November 2022 shortly after the 15th general election (GE15), he said it was not wrong for Umno members to support him becoming the prime minister.

“So I see Muhyiddin as a hypocrite who has forgotten what he said either in Parliament or right after GE15,” he said.

When asked about calls to tighten the Anti-Party Hopping Act, he said the government is ready to review the matter, and in principle, the PH leadership has always wanted the act to be strictly enforced.

“The prime minister has said that we can review this matter (tighten the act), it is not an easy task, and we must remember that previously representatives from PH and almost all involved in discussions at that time, including from Umno, supported a stricter Anti-Party Hopping Bill.

“Previously, those who strongly opposed were Members of Parliament like Muhyiddin, Radzi Jidin, and Hamzah Zainudin (all from Berstau). Therefore, we agree in principle to tighten any aspects currently lacking,” he said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government is open to discussions to improve the gaps in the Anti-Party Hopping Act.

Anwar, who is also PH chairman, was quoted as saying in 2022 that they had proposed amendments to the act but were rejected by the government at that time. — Bernama