Kuala Lampur, July 6 -- The calls for anti-hopping laws to be enacted in Malaysia are not exactly new. In fact, back in 1976 an opposition leader had proposed an anti-hopping law for the seats of Members of Parliament (MPs) to be vacated if they resign or expelled from their parties. Such calls have recently become much stronger due to the political impasse caused by defections by certain members of a political party and a shift in political allegiance, which in the end resulted in a change of government altogether.
Discussions on anti-hopping laws almost inevitably will involve Article 10 of the Federal Constitution (FC). In the case of Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan & Anor v Nordin Bin Salleh & Anor, the Supreme Court found that a provis...