Constitutional amendment to disqualify MP likely tabled together with anti-hopping law, says Wan Junaidi

11 Apr 2022 10:50am

Amendment of Article 48 (6) of the Federal Constitution will probably be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in tandem with the anti-hoping law, says Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

SHAH ALAM - Amendment of Article 48 (6) of the Federal Constitution will probably be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in tandem with the anti-hoping law.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the priority currently will be to table and debate the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 at the special session in Parliament today.

“We will probably look into Article 48 (6) after the tabling and debate of the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 which involves the drafting of laws under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

“Maybe the amendment to Article 48 (6) will be done in tandem with the tabling of the anti-hoping law later,” he said.

Previously, former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had questioned why the amendment to Article 48 (6) is not done together with the presentation and debate of the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 as it has the potential to create a constitutional crisis in the future.

The Pengerang MP said the amendment of Article 10 of the Constitution without a firm definition of party hopping will make the Act less effective.

Article 48 (6) constitutes a person who relinquishes membership in the Dewan Rakyat and will be disqualified from being an elected representative in the Dewan Rakyat again for a period of five years.

Commenting further, Wan Junaidi said, amendments to Article 10 of the Constitution relating to freedom of speech, assembly and the association itself were still in the early stage and needed to be given the appropriate attention first.