March 24, 2022
The Anti-Party Hopping Bill will be tabled at a special parliamentary sitting, which has been scheduled for April 11, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Wan Junaidi said he had discussed the date with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“I had the opportunity to discuss this with the prime minister and we have agreed to hold a meeting on April 11 for us to debate on the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
“Under Regulation 11 (3), it is indeed the power and the right of the prime minister to discuss with the Speaker [of the Dewan Rakyat] but the date was set within 14 days,” Wan Junaidi said when winding up the debate on the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat here on Thursday (March 24).
He said this in reply to a question from Lim Guan Eng (Pakatan Harapan-Bagan) who stood up to ask when the special parliamentary sitting would be held to enable both sides including the opposition to prepare accordingly.
Wan Junaidi said there is no problem for the special sitting to be held in the month of Ramadan as the Dewan Rakyat sitting had previously been held during the fasting month.
“There’s no need to worry as the prime minister has assured that we will table this Bill and leave it to the MPs (Members of Parliament) to decide for themselves.
“The prime minister also said that if we are not able to debate on the Bill in one day, the special sitting can be held over two days,” Wan Junaidi said.
The minister was previously reported to have said that several proposed constitutional amendments would be tabled during the Dewan Rakyat sitting, including the Anti-Party Hopping Bill and limiting the prime minister’s term to two terms.
This would be in line with the recommendation of Ismail Sabri, who wants the Bill to be expedited after the government signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability with Pakatan Harapan on Sept 13, 2021.
However, the Bill could not be tabled during the current Dewan Rakyat sitting to obtain the views and input of all parties involved.
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Anti-Party Hopping Bill to be tabled on April 11