Sunday September 2, 2012

Karpal to table Bill seeking amendment on party hopping

By WINNIE YEOH
winnie@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: DAP chairman Karpal Singh will table a Private Members' Bill in Parliament seeking an amendment to the Federal Constitution on party hopping.

He said that if Article 10(1)(c) of the Constitution were to be amended, the anti-hopping Bill proposed by the Penang Government would become constitutional.

“The Article grants a person the freedom to associate and disassociate from a party. I will submit a Private Members' Bill in Parliament on Sept 25 to call for the amendment (to the Constitution).

“I hope Barisan Nasional can support it,” he said here.

Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, said Pakatan Rakyat MPs would “assist” Barisan Nasional representatives in garnerning a two-thirds' majority for such a Bill although he admitted that it was unlikely that the ruling coalition would support it.

Pakatan leaders, he said, would also have a meeting as soon as possible to achieve a common stand on the anti-hopping law, adding that “they would be able to achieve a consensus on this”.

On PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's failed bid to lure Barisan MPs to cross over to Pakatan on Sept 16, 2008, he said it was for that party to state its own stand on the matter.

“A Government must be formed on the support of the people and can't be formed by betrayal,” stressed Karpal.

Responding to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's statement that such an anti-hopping law would infringe on the freedom of association, Karpal said he did not think elected representatives should have the freedom to betray their own constituents.

“It can't be freedom to cheat and create chaos in the country. It may not be a crime but it's morally wrong,” he said, calling for Article 48(6) of the Constitution, which prohibits representatives from contesting for five years after resigning from their posts, to be amended as well.

On another matter, Karpal described MCA's charge that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng had not stated their stand against hudud law as “uncalled for”.

“It's irrelevant. I'm DAP's spokesman and it's already been stated. PAS is wrong on its stand on hudud and it's unfortunate that I have to repeat it,” he said.

News

Sunday September 2, 2012

Karpal to table Bill seeking amendment on party hopping

By WINNIE YEOH winnie@thestar.com.my

By WINNIE YEOH
winnie@thestar.com.my