DEWAN Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s decision to let six rogue Bersatu MPs keep their seats is consistent with the anti-hopping law that was passed in Parliament, said Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

The Padang Rengas UMNO division chief said specifically, the anti-hopping law included a clause to prevent a lawmaker from losing his seat as a result of expulsion from the party for crossing the political divide.

Nazri said Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement in response to Johari’s announcement was an indication that the Pagoh MP did not understand an MP’s right to free speech.

“Members of Parliament have the right to free speech in the Dewan Rakyat, which is something a senior politician such Muhyiddin should understand,” the Malaysian ambassador to the US was reported as saying by Astro Awani.

“The anti-hopping law was enacted to protect every MP’s right to free speech. There are times when Opposition MPs will support a Bill brought by the government and this has occurred before.

“When the six Bersatu MPs support the government, it is the same as them supporting a government Bill.”

Yesterday (July 10) Muhyiddin confirmed that his party had received a letter from Johari refusing its notice of vacancies in the seats of six MPs who declared their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government.

The six Bersatu MPs are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Zulkafperi Hanafi (Tanjong Karang), and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

In expressing his disappointment over Johari’s decision, Muhyiddin said the Dewan Rakyat Speaker has failed to uphold the “true intention” of amendments made to Article 49A of the Federal Constitution, which is also known as the anti-hopping law that aims to discourage elected lawmakers from switching between political parties after they are elected by voters.

Elaborating, Nazri said the purpose of the anti-hopping law is to prevent by-elections from being triggered without a reasonable cause.

“One of the purposes of the anti-hopping law was to prevent a by-election as we want to save costs,” Nazri said.

“We don’t want to trigger a by-election simply for the reason that a political party decides to sack its lawmakers as this would be a waste of the people’s money.”

Nazri said the anti-hopping law was also enacted to eliminate any moves to overthrow the government as had happened previously.

“What the six ex-Bersatu lawmakers did was to strengthen the government, not overthrow it and therefore they do not have to vacate their seats simply for the reason that they have declared support for the government,” he stressed.

He also said the right and duty to declare a seat as vacant rests solely on the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and not the president of any political party. - July 11, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/bersatu-6-muhyiddin-doesnt-understand-mps-right-to-free-speech-says-umno-man/