BY UMIE SYAZWANIE MOHD
KUCHING: A recall election should be carried out if an elected representative shifts to another party or wishes to be an independent.
Political analyst Assoc Prof Dr. Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya (UM) said this should be the preferred choice rather than implementing an anti-hopping law.
He explained that an anti-hopping law was difficult to implement as this was contrary to the freedom of association stipulated in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
“What needs to be done is a recall election, that is, a re-election if an elected representative hops to another party or wants to be an independent elected representative.”
He said a recall election was not a foreign matter as many Commonwealth countries had adopted the system.
“In this way, the elected representative who hops parties or becomes independent will be disqualified and a new mandate will be given through a re-election for that constituency,” he said.
Awang Azman said with this, elected representatives would not dare to hop to another party as they would be expelled from their party.
Calls for an anti-hopping law have been abuzz in the nation’s political circuit. Former Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has proposed to table a motion for the anti-hopping law when Parliament meets in September.
