KOTA KINABALU: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led state government has dismissed accusations that it is purposely delaying the tabling of the anti-hopping law to facilitate crossovers from the state Opposition.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he believed that the Anti-hopping Bill would be tabled in the Sabah state assembly meeting in March.
“Opinions are not facts,” he said yesterday when asked about the allegations, especially from their opponent, Parti Warisan.
“We are all supportive of it (the Anti-hopping Bill) for the state,” he said in response to a question about whether the state cabinet had discussed the proposed law.
On Wednesday, Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said in Parliament that Sabah must implement the anti-party hopping law to stop crossovers through the enticement of assemblymen.
Warisan, which won 23 seats in the 2020 state election, has since lost nine elected representatives through defections, with the latest three assemblymen crossing over to support the GRS state government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Shafie alleged in Parliament that the three were offered financial incentives to cross over in support of GRS.
GRS’s partners – Sabah Pakatan Harapan and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) – have also been calling for the Bill to be tabled in line with the anti-hopping law under the Federal Constitution.
GRS currently has the support of 47 assemblymen in the 79-member state assembly and will need the Opposition’s support to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority required to amend the state constitution.
Sabah was the first state in the country to introduce the anti-defection law in 1987, during the PBS government’s rule, but the law failed to hold as it was against the freedom of association allowed under the Federal Constitution at that time.
That law was repealed in 1994, when Barisan Nasional took over the state government after the PBS-led government under Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan collapsed due to a spate of defections.
Meanwhile, Kunak assemblyman Norazlinah Arif said she was ready to be investigated to clear her name amid allegations that she was bought off to leave Warisan earlier this month.
“I am ready to be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should there be strong evidence that I received incentives to support the Chief Minister after quitting the party to be an independent,” she said.
Norazlinah, together with Mohammad Mohamarin (Banggi) and Chong Chen Bin (Tanjong Kapor), quit Warisan on Feb 6 and announced their support for Hajiji, saying, however, that they would remain independent.
“I left Warisan willingly because I no longer agree with the party’s inconsistent direction,” she said.
Norazlinah said her decision was to put an end to the unhealthy political polemics in the state so that all assemblymen were given the opportunity to carry out their duties and provide the best service in their respective areas.
She said Warisan’s efforts in the “failed” toppling of Hajiji’s government on Jan 6 only left the party in a power struggle.
Meanwhile, Warisan Wanita deputy chief Norfaizah Chua lodged a police report against Norazlinah over a video by the Kunak assemblyman that was made prior to her crossover.
In the video, Norazlinah claimed she was offered but would remain loyal to Warisan.
The report was lodged at the Penampang police station near here on Feb 9.
A photo of the police report was made available to the media by Warisan only yesterday.
