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ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government will wait for the latest development relating to the proposed Anti-Party Hopping Bill in Parliament before introducing the same law at the state level, said Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (pix).
He said this was to ensure that the law at the state level is compatible with the one at the federal level.
“From what I can see, whatever happens at the Parliament level will have an impact on the state. For example, they are looking at Article 10 (of the Federal Constitution). We have to liaise and see whether this will have an impact on us.”
He said this to reporters on the sideline of the First Meeting of the First Session of the 15th Johor State Assembly sitting here today.
Onn Hafiz, who is also Machap assemblyman, said the move to introduce the anti-party hopping enactment later was among the state government’s efforts to empower the State Legislative Assembly in the future.
The tabling of the Anti-Party Hopping Bill in the Dewan Rakyat, which was scheduled for April 11, has been postponed and is expected to be tabled during the next Parliament sitting this July.
Apart from that, the federal government will set up a special committee to work on and draft the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz said the state government was also considering the setting up of a suitable select committee and would hold discussions with elected representatives including the Opposition Leader on the direction of the State Legislative Assembly for the wellbeing of the people in Johor as a whole.
“Secondly, we can probably look into how to get the involvement of young people and young leaders out there. Maybe we can appoint them as nominated assemblymen like other states have done,” he said.
Earlier, 56 Johor state assemblymen took their oath of office before the newly-appointed State Assembly Speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, led by Onn Hafiz and followed by 10 state executive councillors. — Bernama
