PUTRAJAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is hopeful that the much-anticipated anti-party hopping bill could be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in July this year.
He also confirmed that a contentious provision in the draft of the said bill had been removed, which initially defined those who were expelled from their respective parties as to have hopped to another as well.
Since the controversial provision had been amended, Wan Junaidi believed the new draft would get the approval of all members of Parliament so that the law could be gazetted latest by January next year.
However, he pointed out that if the bill could be tabled during a special sitting in June, before the scheduled July 18 session, the bill could be passed in both Houses of Parliament and gazetted in a couple of months.
This, he said would be in line with the consensus reached between the government and opposition parties through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year to have the law gazetted before the 15th General Election (GE15).
Given that the draft of the bill had been completed, Wan Junaidi said the select committee charged with the amendments to the Federal Constitution regarding the party-hopping law had called for a special sitting next month for the bill to be tabled and debated.
"But, the final decision (to set the date) depends on the government. Also, when we table this bill, we would like to see all cabinet ministers and MPs in attendance because we need a two-thirds majority to pass the amendment to the constitution.
"I am now waiting for the last meeting (next week) to see if there are any other suggestions that the committee wants to bring to our attention.
"I have informed the prime minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) that the committee wants a special sitting next month and the prime minister said we should wait for the end of the month (June) because by then all MPs will be in the country. So, it is best to just wait.
"To me, I think this is logical because we have to consider many things including the costs for the MPs to travel here since it is not only for one night," he said during an interview with several local media organisations at his office here today.
Wan Junaidi said the special sitting could not be held in early June due to the prime minister's packed schedule aside from several other ministers who were currently on work visits abroad.
On the draft of the anti-party hopping bill, Wan Junaidi said a MP who had been expelled from one's political party would not be affected by the proposed anti-party hopping law.
Instead, he said those who would be considered to have crossed the aisle when he or she resigned from their respective parties or if an independent MP decided to join a party after winning the seat.
This, he said, would put to rest all speculations and criticisms where many MPs, both in the government and opposition, said the earlier draft of the said provision would give ultimate power to party presidents to act as they please, including expelling a member without valid reasons.
Wan Junaidi said after considering the views of all MPs, stakeholders, academicians, experts and some non-governmental organisations, the government decided to do away with the provision.