A total of 209 MPs voted in favour of the bill. Eleven MPs were absent when the voting took place.

The bill was passed after debates yesterday and today involving 54 MPs. It was tabled for its second reading by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.

It passed the second and third reading today.

The tabling of the anti-hopping bill is one of the key conditions of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Ismail and Pakatan Harapan.

Under the bill, MPs will lose their seats if they choose to jump to another party. Exceptions will be provided for MPs who are sacked by their party or if their party is dissolved or deregistered.

An MP who is elected as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker will also be exempted from the law.

The announcement of the passing of the bill by Speaker Azhar Harun was met with chants of “Hidup Rakyat” (long live the people) and “Hidup MoU” (long live the MoU) by opposition MPs.

The bill required at least a two-thirds majority, or the support of at least 148 MPs, in the Dewan Rakyat to amend Article 10 (1)(c) of the Federal Constitution.

“I would like to congratulate all MPs for creating history today,” Azhar said.

During his winding up speech, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar thanked Ismail for his commitment in preventing party-hopping.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to the legal affairs department, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and especially to the parliamentary select committee.

“While I agree with MPs that the bill is not perfect, it is a first step (in the right direction),” he said.

The much-awaited anti-hopping law was one of the main conditions stipulated in the political agreement between Ismail’s government and PH, last September.

Earlier this month, Wan Junaidi said he expected the law to be implemented by the end of September if the bill was passed during this current Dewan Rakyat meeting.

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