KUALA LUMPUR, November 14 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution clarified that Members of Parliament (MPs) declaring support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not result in them losing their seats. Saifuddin, who is also the Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretary-general, explained that according to the Anti-Party Hopping Act, only MPs who join another party, aside from declaring themselves as Independent, will lose their seats.
He mentioned that during the drafting of the act, PH proposed that MPs acting against the party whip’s decision should be considered as losing their seats, but this proposal was not agreed upon by Perikatan Nasional (PN). Saifuddin outlined that under PH’s proposal, actions such as going against the party whip on matters like the budget vote, a no-confidence motion, or any Bill affecting the government’s position would be considered a loss of seats. However, this proposal did not gain consensus from PN, and the final provision in the Act only includes situations like declaring membership in another party or declaring oneself an Independent MP.
Saifuddin’s clarification comes in response to recent declarations of support for Anwar by four PN MPs from Bersatu, prompting discussions about the Anti-Party Hopping Act’s effectiveness. The issue gained attention after Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) proposed a review of the Anti-Party Hopping Act, claiming weaknesses, especially concerning party members supporting the Unity Government. To date, the four Bersatu MPs expressing support for Anwar are Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, and Zahari Kechik.
