Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said such an approach was necessary to prevent MPs and assemblymen from quitting without a valid reason.
He said Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had done a disservice to their constituents by resigning as MPs after deciding to take over Parti Bersama Malaysia.
Rafizi and Nik Nazmi were the MPs for Pandan and Setiawangsa.
“They should pay compensation for the remainder of their term so the government can fund an agency to continue serving the constituents,” Mazlan told FMT.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission (EC) informed Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul that the two seats had been vacated.
By-elections will not be necessary since Parliament automatically dissolves in less than two years. However, they may be requested by the speaker if he writes to inform the EC that the ruling party’s majority in the house is affected by the vacancies.
Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia meanwhile said it would be undemocratic to impose a law such as that suggested by Mazlan.
She said MPs had the right to resign for specific reasons, and that the anti-hopping law was already in force.
“The anti-hopping law may not apply in Rafizi and Nik Nazmi’s case because they technically resigned (as MPs first). But the point is, we already have a guideline (in the form of legislation) to help maintain political stability.”
She acknowledged however that it would be difficult to enforce, saying “in a democracy, one must find a balance between stability and individual freedoms”.
She said the duo’s resignation as MPs could erode public confidence and cause voters to become cynical, especially if they are seen as having stepped down due to vested interests.
However, she said the episode also presented an opportunity to review weaknesses in existing laws and come up with SOPs or clearer terms and conditions for the resignation of elected representatives.
“Maybe after this, some will look into the loopholes in the anti-hopping law out of concern that other politicians will exploit these loopholes for short-term gain.”