Parties should be restricted from forming alliance

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Hiew King Cheu

KOTA KINABALU (Aug 31): A former Sabah lawmaker says the anti-party hopping law would not achieve its objectives fully if political parties are still allowed to form an alliance with one another just to make up the number of seats to form the government.

“The anti-hopping law will stop elected representatives from jumping to another party as they like so that the party concerned will have the numbers. But what’s stopping political parties from ganging up with others, regardless whether they are friends or foe, to make up the numbers to claim power to rule?” Datuk Hiew King Cheu, a former MP of Kota Kinabalu and Luyang assemblyman questioned.

Hiew, who is currently leading the Justice For Sabah (JFS) movement, said that such a practice is despised by the people and must be stopped.

“The anti-hopping law should not only apply to restrict the elected members to change parties during his term of office, but more importantly those political parties that form an alliance or grouping to make up the number of seats to form the government after the general election.

“They should not be allowed to change or break their existing alliance or group during their term as the government. There shall be no adding or deducting of political parties during the term as the governing alliance. The coalition or group should be deemed as in breach of the anti-hopping law, and in such an event the state assembly must immediately dissolved to pave way for a fresh election,” he suggested.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said on Monday that the Sabah government would table an anti-party hopping bill at a special session of the State Legislative Assembly to be held soon.

He said the state Cabinet had agreed to bring this matter to the state assembly after Parliament recently passed constitutional amendments to prevent Members of Parliament from switching parties.

He pointed out that the move is in line with the state government’s commitment to create political stability in Sabah after facing political uncertainty for a long time.

“The (Sabah) Cabinet has agreed to present constitutional amendments at a special session to stop party hopping so that we can sleep well. We no longer will have to watch here and there, jump here and there,” Hajiji was quoted as saying.

Hiew said he welcomed Hajiji’s statement as without an anti-party hopping law in force, individuals who are elected by the people to represent them can switch political parties as they like and cause a downfall of an elected government.

“But the question everyone is asking is what happens when political parties with elected members changing alliance en bloc? Is this not classified as hopping and betraying the people? This is similar to the party hopping. In fact, it’s even worse because it’s done by a larger group of individuals,” he said.

He highlighted that there have been strong calls from Sabahans that there should be an additional clause in the proposed Sabah anti-party hopping law that prohibits political parties from resorting to such a practice.

This, he said, will ensure that there will be no future foul-play and act of betrayal against the people. dishonesty to the people.

“People are realizing that it’s unacceptable for just a handful of people within a political party or parties to be controlling the future of the masses. We should not allow this to happen any longer as far as democracy is concerned. We shall not be played out and fooled by the political parties any more.

The power must be returned to the people,” he said.

Malaysia has seen two coalition governments collapse since February 2020, partly due to moves by lawmakers to switch party allegiances while retaining their seats in parliament.