Anti-hopping law to be in force by Sept 2 if passed

(FMT) – The much-awaited anti-hopping law is expected to be gazetted by Sept 2 once it is passed by Parliament, says law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

In a statement, he said the draft bill has been finalised and will be tabled at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting which begins on July 18.

Once passed by the lower house and approved by the Dewan Negara, the bill will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by Aug 26 for His Majesty’s assent, he said, with gazetting expected to take place between Aug 29 and Sept 2.

The first and second readings of the bill are expected to take place on Aug 9 and 10, respectively.

Wan Junaidi said the draft bill was finalised by the parliamentary special select committee today.

He said the questions raised by several Cabinet members on the bill have also been addressed by the committee.

The bill is targeted to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat on July 27 and 28, but this is subject to the discretion of the speaker, he said.

Previously, the committee proposed that the bill be tabled at a one-day special sitting in early July, as opposed to waiting for the scheduled new meeting, which will stretch from July 18 to Aug 4.

However, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob decided that no special sitting was necessary.

The anti-hopping law was one of the main conditions stipulated in the memorandum of understanding between Ismail’s government and Pakatan Harapan last September.

It was to have been tabled in March but was delayed.

At the time, Wan Junaidi said the bill required “further deliberation” with stakeholders from Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional to ensure it gets sufficient support in Parliament.