MoU clearly states anti-hopping bill must be tabled by March, says Lim
“
If the prime minister and Malaysian government’s promises in black and white cannot be trusted, what meaning is there then to the MoU?
(FMT) – Pakatan Harapan’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government clearly states that an anti-hopping bill must be tabled and passed in Parliament by the first meeting of the year, says DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng.
Responding to communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa, Lim said this meant that the bill needed to be passed within this month since the first meeting of 2022 will end on Thursday.
The Bagan MP accused Annuar, the Ketereh MP, of fearing a general election as he might not be named as an Umno candidate for the polls since he had clearly rebelled against party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously.
“But don’t try to change the facts and turn your back on the truth just because you’re afraid you might not get to contest (in GE15).
“Please read the MoU signed between PH leaders and your own prime minister. It’s stated in black and white in the MoU that an anti-party hopping bill must be implemented no later than the first Parliament meeting of 2022.
“If the prime minister and Malaysian government’s promises in black and white cannot be trusted, what meaning is there then to the MoU? If the prime minister breaches the MoU, wouldn’t it be cancelled?
“Work on fulfilling the MoU immediately. If not, when the MoU is cancelled, you will have to bear full responsibility,” Lim told Annuar in a Facebook post today.
He said the anti-hopping bill was important to keep elected representatives from betraying the people’s mandate, adding that this had tarnished public confidence in the democratic system.
Yesterday, Annuar told DAP not to make statements that could confuse the people, especially on the MoU, pointing out that 80% of the items in the MoU had been or were being implemented.
The former Barisan Nasional secretary-general said the government would never bow to threats from any political party on matters that could confuse the people.
Annuar was responding to Lim after the former DAP secretary-general said the MoU will be “finished and ended” if the anti-hopping bill was not tabled as promised.
Originally slated to be tabled in this Dewan Rakyat meeting, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said last week the bill required “further deliberation” with stakeholders from BN and Perikatan Nasional to ensure it could get sufficient support in the Dewan Rakyat.
