SHAH ALAM, November 12 — The rejection of a provision in the draft Anti-Party Hopping Act by some leaders of the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is said to have backfired as several of their Members of Parliament expressed support for the government. Former UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar stated that the proposal brought by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, to declare vacant the seats of Members of Parliament who opposed the party’s position or violated party principles in the Dewan Rakyat, was rejected by ministers and Bersatu lawmakers.
Khairy remarked that their firm opposition to the clause when it was first presented in a Cabinet meeting led to its removal from the Bill. Ironically, those who opposed were members of Parliament and Bersatu ministers, currently from the Perikatan Nasional (PN), and among the most vocal in not supporting the draft. Perhaps because they also have experience in party hopping. Khairy mentioned that ministers who opposed the provision are now victims of the amended and approved draft, and Wan Junaidi had detected loopholes in the Anti-Party Hopping Act but it is now too late, and no action or steps can be taken.
“Now, they will become ‘zombie’ MPs whom Bersatu cannot dismiss, cannot join Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Harapan or PN, living like ‘zombies’ and will receive allocations,” he said on the podcast “Keluar Sekejap” with former UMNO Information Chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan on Friday.
