From Azalina Othman Said

“What is party-hopping and why is it so difficult to define?” is a question that has, of late, been put to me over and over again by many Malaysians.

Simply put, when an elected representative moves to another party after being elected by their voters, he or she has party-hopped.

In reality, however, party-hopping, or the motivation behind why an elected representative hops, is a nuanced discourse. It can occur under many circumstances, in some of which the fault may be fully attributable to the elected representative, and in others, less so.

The government of the day, on signing the memorandum of understanding with Pakatan Harapan, has committed to the passing of an anti-hopping law.

The government is now in the process of engaging MPs of all parties, and other stakeholders, including academics, in drafting such a law before the next sitting in July.

Many parties across the political divide, including Umno, have expressed their commitment to passing anti-hopping legislation.

Power to recall serves as voter insurance

The basis of the electoral system is the constitutional right of voters. Malaysians vote to express their right to choose who they want to represent them in Parliament.

When candidates offer themselves in any election, they offer a package to the voter. This package consists of the candidate, the party he or she represents, and a manifesto promising voters what the candidate will deliver to the constituency. This is the package considered by the voters when they cast their vote.

My hero Winston Churchill, typical of his common sense and logical way, has outlined the order of duties of MPs and this order is the same for the Malaysian MPs. Their first duty is to the country. Their second, which is the duty to their constituents, overrides their duty to the party.

In other words, all party politics and party demands come after the MP’s duty to the constituency.

An anti-hopping measure is important and relevant from a contractual aspect between the voters and candidates. When voters elect a representative, they vote based on the individual, the party, and the promises the candidates make.

The vote is cast based on the assumption that the candidate will continue to represent the party and keep his or her word in delivering what has been promised.

Party-hopping violates this contract, although on the constitutional level, the law allows candidates to leave and undergo a by-election. In fact, most countries allow candidates to leave their seat and run again.

The power to recall an MP serves as insurance for voters, in making sure that they get the package they voted for – the candidate, the party, and the promises made in the manifesto. It also serves to minimise the impact of damage caused by party-hopping, giving voters the option of an immediate course of action when their elected representatives party-hop.

The issue of cost has been brought up. All forms of anti-hopping measures will incur some form of cost. This is no exception. There will be a cost incurred for the petition. In the event the recall action progresses to a by-election, the recall by-election will incur cost.

The issue of cost should not be a deterrent to the recall action. The cost of not having one, an immediate course of action, far outweighs the price to pay for running the petition and a recall by-election.

Reject political frogs for 100% voter turnout

At every election, we see Malaysians from all walks of life and of all ages coming out to vote. They queue in the heat, they walk to voting centres if they have to, they come even if they are wheelchair-bound, and they show up even if they have to bring along their children.

They do this out of a sense of citizenship and hope for the future of the country. Elected representatives, bearing in mind that their duty to the constituents overrides party interests, should never ever take this for granted.

By voting for you, the electors are voting for a brighter future for Malaysia. What gives frogs the right to betray their vote?

We say we want to see 100% voter turnout, but how can we expect this when the rights of voters and their voices are stamped out by politicians who feel entitled to party-hop in their self-interest?

March towards recall action

Recall action must be put in place before the next general election to protect the vote of every Malaysian, avoid voter betrayal, and ensure constituents receive what they have been promised when they cast their vote.

MPs have a duty to their constituency and this is non-negotiable.

Azalina Othman Said is MP for Pengerang and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.