Guan Eng insists on anti-hopping law in Penang
August 24, 2012
Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — The DAP continued today to push for its
proposal to enact anti-hopping laws in Penang although numerous
defections from Barisan Nasional (BN) since Election 2008 have helped
boost Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) representation in Parliament.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement that gaining political representation through defections was “immoral, unethical and unprincipled” as it showed contempt for the democratic choice of an elected representative’s voters.
He said the elected representative should resign from his or her seat and seek a fresh mandate should he choose to leave the party he had previously contested under.
“Democracy, accountability and ethical conduct demand that the voters be given another opportunity to pass judgment whether such a decision by the elected representative to hop over is acceptable or not,” he said.
As an example, Lim (picture) pointed
to the fall of the Perak PR government in 2009 when the defection of
three assemblymen — two from PKR and one from the DAP — had helped BN
reclaim the state.
But the DAP leader did not touch on the recent defection of Sabah BN MPs — Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin — who left their respective parties in the ruling pact last month to pledge support for PR.
Lim also did not speak of PR’s September 16 takeover attempt in 2008 when its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had boasted that mass political crossovers to PR would see BN toppled from its perch in Putrajaya.
Despite the failed takeover attempt, the incident has continued to loom large over Anwar and PR’s parties, and was raised again recently when Lim’s DAP-led administration in Penang proposed to enact an anti-hopping law to prevent such crossovers.
When responding to the issue yesterday, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek flayed Lim for the proposal, reminding the latter that PR parties have often relied on political defections to gain electoral power.
PR has never toppled any state government through political defections.
The veteran politician was quoted in the media as suggesting that Lim move amendments in his own party constitution instead of pushing for fresh laws to be enacted in Penang.
But Lim rejected Dr Chua’s proposal, saying that amending the party constitution would not prevent coup attempts like the Perak takeover by BN or compel a defector to resign from his or her seat.
The DAP secretary-general said Dr Chua’s apparent opposition to Penang’s plan to enact anti-hopping laws only highlights BN’s readiness to usurp power from its enemies through political defections.
“It is time that we as Malaysians revisited the issue of political defections so that we can determine whether it shall be the voters or corrupt politicians who are the bosses in this country,” he said.
Lim had said on Tuesday that Penang was looking to pass an anti-party hopping law during the next state assembly sitting in November ahead of the coming 13th general election that must be held by next year.
The Bagan MP had said this would mean any political defection must later result in a re-election to ensure that the democratic right of voters is upheld.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement that gaining political representation through defections was “immoral, unethical and unprincipled” as it showed contempt for the democratic choice of an elected representative’s voters.
He said the elected representative should resign from his or her seat and seek a fresh mandate should he choose to leave the party he had previously contested under.
“Democracy, accountability and ethical conduct demand that the voters be given another opportunity to pass judgment whether such a decision by the elected representative to hop over is acceptable or not,” he said.
As an example, Lim (picture) pointed
to the fall of the Perak PR government in 2009 when the defection of
three assemblymen — two from PKR and one from the DAP — had helped BN
reclaim the state.But the DAP leader did not touch on the recent defection of Sabah BN MPs — Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin — who left their respective parties in the ruling pact last month to pledge support for PR.
Lim also did not speak of PR’s September 16 takeover attempt in 2008 when its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had boasted that mass political crossovers to PR would see BN toppled from its perch in Putrajaya.
Despite the failed takeover attempt, the incident has continued to loom large over Anwar and PR’s parties, and was raised again recently when Lim’s DAP-led administration in Penang proposed to enact an anti-hopping law to prevent such crossovers.
When responding to the issue yesterday, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek flayed Lim for the proposal, reminding the latter that PR parties have often relied on political defections to gain electoral power.
PR has never toppled any state government through political defections.
The veteran politician was quoted in the media as suggesting that Lim move amendments in his own party constitution instead of pushing for fresh laws to be enacted in Penang.
But Lim rejected Dr Chua’s proposal, saying that amending the party constitution would not prevent coup attempts like the Perak takeover by BN or compel a defector to resign from his or her seat.
The DAP secretary-general said Dr Chua’s apparent opposition to Penang’s plan to enact anti-hopping laws only highlights BN’s readiness to usurp power from its enemies through political defections.
“It is time that we as Malaysians revisited the issue of political defections so that we can determine whether it shall be the voters or corrupt politicians who are the bosses in this country,” he said.
Lim had said on Tuesday that Penang was looking to pass an anti-party hopping law during the next state assembly sitting in November ahead of the coming 13th general election that must be held by next year.
The Bagan MP had said this would mean any political defection must later result in a re-election to ensure that the democratic right of voters is upheld.
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