PENAMPANG: Bringing back the anti-hopping law will be one of the 10 principles in Parti Bersatu Sabah's (PBS) manifesto for the coming state election.
Its deputy president Datuk Radin Malleh said the party was determined to bring a motion of anti-party hopping law to the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
He said the party had once introduced such law in 1988, when PBS was the then state government.
"However, the central (government) brought the matter to court, which ruled it as unconstitutional. However, there must a mechanism to go about doing it and we are determined to reintroduce the law.
"Party hopping always happens in Sabah. We don't want this to occur often as it is against party integrity and dignity," he told reporters when unveiling PBS manifesto at the part's headquarters here, today.
The manifesto states the anti-hopping law will ensure elected representatives respect the mandate given to them by the people.
While PBS upholds the Malaysian Constitution, the manifesto states if elected representatives ditch their original party, they must vacate seats, so that the mandate is given back to the people to decide on their representatives.
Radin also said the party was committed to safeguarding Sabah's rights in the Malaysian Federation context as enshrined in the Malaysian Agreement 1963 and ensuring the history content of Malaysia formation was fully included in textbooks.
The party manifesto also highlights on PBS' commitment towards the implementation of Sabah identity card to Malaysian citizens in the state and ensuring no documents are issued to illegal immigrants.
It also focuses on establishing coast guards and border scouts with cooperation of Eastern Sabah Security Command as well as ensuring control posts are set up at all illegal routes and entry points to Sabah to prevent intrusion.
PBS manifesto even underscores protecting the environment, education, health, welfare, boosting development in the rural areas, digitalisation of the economy, as well as on empowering youth and women, among others.