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The
new law could be crucial in providing stability as national
elections are expected to be called earlier than the September
2023 deadline.
Malaysia has seen two coalition governments collapse since
February 2020, partly due to moves by lawmakers to switch party
allegiances while retaining their seats in parliament.
Under the new law, a lawmaker who decides to change parties
after being elected to the post, would lose their position in
parliament. The lower house of parliament passed the law by a
two-thirds majority.
"This... is important to ensure long-term political stability,"
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement.
The law is expected to be tabled in the upper house in August,
and if approved - as expected - it will come into effect shortly
after.
Malaysia has had three prime ministers since 2020, compounding
uncertainty wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic
slowdown.
(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by
Kanupriya Kapoor)
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