SERDANG: The date of the special Perak assembly sitting to amend its state constitution to prevent assemblymen from switching parties will only be decided after the constitutional amendment prohibiting members of Parliament from party hopping has been gazetted at the federal level.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the state government cannot precede the gazettement process of the constitutional amendment which among others has to be consented by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"The date of the special assembly sitting will be decided only after the constitutional amendment (on party hopping) has been gazetted at the federal level.
"We cannot call the sitting before the act has been gazetted since it involves the amendment to the eighth schedule in the Federal Constitution.
"The amendment to the eighth schedule will enable the state to table the amendment in the state assembly sitting," he told reporters here today.
It was reported the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022 was passed in the Dewan Negara on Tuesday.
Perak is among the states that intended to amend its state constitution for the relevant provisions to remain consistent with the amended Federal Constitution.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had previously said that the eighth schedule of the Federal Constitution would be amended to provide autonomy to the state, to choose to implement the law into the state or otherwise.
Perak State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid was reported as saying that the special sitting was expected to be convened before the 15th general election is held.