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Anti-Party Hopping Bill should not be delayed further, says CAP

GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has expressed dismay over the postponement in tabling of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill at the Parliament.

CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said they were looking forward to the passing of the bill as party hopping has been rampant among members of parliament and even the state assemblymen, especially in recent years.

He said party hopping or re-alignment of loyalty was a blatant betrayal to the electorates' trust.

"Party hopping creates political uncertainties and de-stabilises the country's political and economic environment.

"Moreover, by-elections are expensive undertakings that the country has to avoid.

"On these premises, we urge the bill to be tabled soonest possible and supported by all MPs because it is going to restore confidence in the democratic system of the country," he added.

Mohideen said if an elected candidate was expelled by his political party, the person should remain as an independent such as in the case of the former two-term Tanjung Bungah state assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu.

Despite Teh's disagreement with some of the state government's policies, particularly those concerning the environmental issues, he did not defect from DAP until after the dissolution of the Penang State Assembly.

Only then he joined Parti Sosialis Malaysia in 2018.

"However, if the elected representative decides to join another party, it would be proper for him to vacate his seat for a by-election to take place.

"Independent parties should not be allowed to join any political party after an election, because by allowing it, independent parties may use the votes they won to back parties that lost marginally to tip the balance of power.

"On the other hand, the electorate themselves must be governed by the right principles and not go by party leanings.

"They must evaluate their representatives. They must be active citizenry, involved in issues in their area and constantly check their representatives' performance," he added.

The electorate, Mohideen said, must go through a change in political culture which among others involves the practice of receiving handouts from politicians.

"The people's culture and their expectations have to change too. There has to be a thorough assessment on what our MPs and state assemblymen are paid (allowances and pensions) and also the allocations given to them.

"The allocations given must be only enough to run an efficient and effective service centre but not for use of giving handouts."

Mohideen said representatives must provide quarterly reports of the work they have done, the number of times they went for sittings and the issues they raised in the House.

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