SERDANG: Unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil has assured that the federal administration will take the necessary steps to review and amend the gaps in the anti-party hopping law.
Fahmi recalled that during the debate on the constitutional amendment for the anti-hopping legislation, Muhyiddin had stated that the dismissal of an elected representative should not cause a seat to become vacant.
"We need to remember that representatives from PH and nearly all those involved in the discussions at the time, including members from Umno, supported the idea of a stricter anti-party hopping law.
"Those who opposed it back then were members of parliament like Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Dr. Radzi Jidin, and Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
"So, in principle, we agreed it (anti-party hopping law) should be tightened. What are the aspects that may be the weaknesses (of the law)?
"As the Prime Minister recently said, we are ready to examine this matter more thoroughly," he told reporters at the Felda Settlers' Day celebration here today.
Earlier today, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan expressed support for the government's plan to improve the anti-party hopping law.
Mohamad said the law should be amended so that strict action, including vacating seats, could be taken against members of parliament (MP) who clearly show they are not aligned with their party.
He said a strict law was also needed to prevent MPs from party hopping.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on July 12 that the government is open to discussing the possibility of amending the anti-party hopping law to address the gap in the legislation.
On June 20, Bersatu submitted a notice to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, requesting that six parliamentary seats represented by its MPs who previously supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim be vacated.
The notice was submitted based on the provisions of Article 49A(1)(a)(ii) of the Constitution, which states that a member of the Dewan Rakyat shall cease to be a member, and his seat shall become vacant when he is no longer a member of a political party.
However, in his decision, Johari rejected Bersatu's request to vacate the six parliamentary seats.