Anti-hopping law proposed - The Star

KOTA BARU: A law to ban “party-hopping” by elected representatives is on the cards in the wake of allegations of defections by some Barisan Nasional parliamentarians.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said this would be among the first actions that he would initiate.

“I will propose to the Cabinet for consideration. It is an issue of integrity and morality. I am sure Malaysians would not want their politicians to hop.”

In 1992, the High Court declared the anti-hop law unconstitutional as it went against the freedom of association as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

According to Zaid, politicians should be barred from defecting because they contested and won on the principles of their original political parties. Crossovers would also affect the Government administration.

“It is a waste of its efforts to support such politicians,” Zaid said at a thanksgiving feast to mark his appointment as a federal minister.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/23/nation/20729946&sec=nation]