June 8, 2022
The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) to study a bill aimed at restricting MPs from switching parties has completed its duties.
In a statement today, PSSC chairperson and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said all questions raised by the cabinet on June 1 have been resolved yesterday.
“The PSSC’s response to those questions will be documented in a cabinet note and tabled during a future cabinet meeting,” said Wan Junaidi.
Cabinet was scheduled to meet this morning. Wan Junaidi did not specify when his note would be tabled.
Wan Junaidi said the PSSC also resolved to recommend Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob convene a special sitting of Parliament during the first week of July.
The second meeting of the Dewan Rakyat for this year has already been scheduled for July 18 until Aug 4.
Wan Junaidi said the PSSC will meet one final time to verify its Hansard. He did not specify a date.
Laws to restrict MPs from switching parties are a core component of Ismail Sabri’s confidence-and-supply agreement with Pakatan Harapan.
After several rounds of consultation, the bill was finally set to be tabled on April 11. However, the cabinet, at the eleventh hour, drastically changed the contents of the bill.
Following this, the Dewan Rakyat established the PSSC to refine the bill so that it can be re-tabled.
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