KUCHING: Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s (PBK) imposition on its potential candidates that they have to compensate the party a whopping RM20 million to RM50 million if they leave the party to become Independents or jump ship is just to attract extra attention towards the party.
This is the view of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing in saying that as much as he supports PBK in doing as such to prevent elected representatives from betraying the trust of the voters, it is simply a political gimmick.
“Unless PBK takes the law into their own hands by wielding a big stick against those political frogs,” he said today (April 24).
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president added that in the 1990s, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) passed anti-hopping laws to stop elected representatives from hopping from one party to another party.
“We got tired of YBs (elected representatives) betraying the trust of their voters at the ‘tinkle’ of coins or the change of their political beliefs, thus the anti-hopping laws were passed,” he said.
He said however, such law was dismissed as null and void by the Federal Constitution (FC) which recognises freedom of association.
On Friday (April 23), PBK president Voon Lee Shan said that the party’s potential candidates have a price tag of RM20 million each, with himself tagged for RM50 million by the party, as compensation should they jump to another party or become Independents in the next state election and beyond.
“We had a meeting and have made an agreement on this. The first batch signed the agreement on March 29, while the second batch had signed it earlier this month in Sibu.
“More candidates are coming in and they will sign the agreement as well, but due to Covid-19, they cannot sign them yet,” he said.
