'Oppressed' Ronald's anti-hopping gripe: Some cross without crossing, others in limbo

PARLIAMENT | Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee has criticised the anti-party hopping law for failing to address the plight of lawmakers who find themselves abandoned by their own parties, arguing that it restricts their political choices while doing little to prevent defections to the government.

The former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker said the law had failed to achieve its intended purpose, pointing to lawmakers who had thrown their support behind the ruling coalition without leaving their parties.

The former Bersatu vice-president was...

PARLIAMENT | Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee has criticised the anti-party hopping law for failing to address the plight of lawmakers who find themselves abandoned by their own parties, arguing that it restricts their political choices while doing little to prevent defections to the government.

The former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker said the law had failed to achieve its intended purpose, pointing to lawmakers who had thrown their support behind the ruling coalition without leaving their parties.

The former Bersatu vice-president was suspended for six years as the party took disciplinary action against supporters of its former deputy president, Hamzah Zainudin, who now leads Wawasan Negara, a component of the same opposition coalition, Perikatan Nasional.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Ronald (above) called for amendments to the anti-hopping law.

“It clearly does not stop those who jump over there,” he said, referring to MPs who had aligned themselves with the government.

“At the same time, the anti-hopping law oppresses people like me. There are many others like me here who have been suspended by their party because of the anti-hopping law,” he said.

Ronald said lawmakers in his position were trapped in political limbo, unable to explore new alliances or chart an independent course, leaving them with few options and little prospect of a favourable outcome.

“This means the anti-hopping law not only cannot stop those who jump, but also oppresses those of us who have been wronged by our party. So, it does not serve its purpose. That is why government MPs and the ruling government must do something,” he said.

He also warned that government MPs could find themselves facing the same predicament should the balance of power shift and a new government take office.

Movements in Bersatu

In January 2024, six Bersatu MPs (below) declared their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim without leaving the party.

They were Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

Bersatu subsequently amended its constitution and sought to have the six parliamentary seats declared vacant.

However, the anti-hopping law contains no provision to address such a situation, as it applies only to MPs who leave their political parties.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul subsequently set a precedent by ruling that the law did not apply to the six MPs.

On Feb 13 this year, Bersatu sacked Hamzah and 16 other leaders and MPs under Clause 9.1.4 of the party constitution, amid a power struggle between Hamzah and party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

In March, the party’s disciplinary board suspended Ronald, then a vice-president, and Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin for two terms for breaching the same clause.

Under the anti-party hopping law, MPs who are expelled from their parties do not automatically lose their seats. The same applies to MPs whose parties are dissolved or merge with another party, as well as those who leave their parties to become Dewan Rakyat speaker.