When 222 MPs voted for the Anti Hopping law to be passed without noticing or realising the loopholes in the Act, that is to me, not a mistake. For I cannot imagine matters of such importance fails the scrutiny of 444 opened eyes? many of whom are practicing lawyers when it was deliberated and tabled in Parliament, or that this issue was never brought up in party meetings before? not unless they were all sleeping on the job. Another more convincing reason would be that it was left there as a safety net, sort of a pressure relieve valve. Because if 222 MPs could miss such glaring flaws, I hate to say this but our country is better off without them.
In the Act so it was summarised, “no individuals can party hop without a by-election being called, not unless their respective party ceases to exist or that the individual is sacked.” (Not in its exact words) It makes one ponder if it is more menacing to leave that lice crawling all over your head for years at end, then let it leave voluntarily or to nip it in the bud~ I mean, to exterminate it ?
Affected parties I heard are now hastily amending their own party constitution to plug in these two glaring loopholes sometimes I wonder how they could side step the umbrella ruling preferably amended with a 2/3rds majority inside parliament.
And what happens if let’s say parties (instead of individuals) hop en bloc to form coalitions at the expense of our voting choices, and against their own doctrine, ideology and election manifesto? Aren’t that too much of a compromise to make especially when it comes to infringing our rakyats liberty and freedom of choice?
So what does these two flaws have to say about the Anti Hopping Act so far?
One more thing… are the coalitions legitimately formed and registered with the Societies Act? Who are the named component parties in these legitimate coalition? And are these component parties barred from joining/forming other coalitions?
I hate to imagine the consequences if in the event no single party commands a simple majority in Parliament this coming GE15~ my concern is “Just how many of them would be caught sleeping with their enemy in the end for the sake of power and control?” Because at the end of the day, when the curtains draw to a close, the coalition association patterns is likely going to be~ police making camps with police, thieves with thieves, religious with religious…
If Sheraton Move can happen once before , what makes you think it won’t happen again?”
fiveloaf 