The lower house of the Malaysian Parliament passed a bill on Thursday to prevent members of parliament (MPs) from “jumping” or switching parties in the middle of their terms in a bid to curb political defection.
So-called “party hopping” contributed to the downfall of the former Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.
The proposed bill was approved by a two-thirds majority, with 209 members of the lower house voting in favor. The other 11 members of the chamber were not in attendance, according to the country’s legal affairs division.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the parliament made a “historic” decision to ensure political stability and prevent the country from facing a political crisis caused by party defection….