In 1978, the veteran DAP lawmaker moved a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament for an Anti-Hoping law to deter political corruption but was ultimately unsuccessful

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Iskandar Puteri, LIm Kit Siang is truly a progressive Malaysian leader that fights for the right of the rakyat without compromising his ideals and principles. Looking back at his decades-long career in politics, the 80-year-old veteran lawmaker will impress even his fiercest critics with his struggles to make Malaysia a world-class-nation and ideas that have been dubbed ahead of his time.

Take the Undi18 or lowering of the voting age of Malaysians to 18 years old initiative for example. While the law has been tumultuous with the previous Perikatan Nasional government blocking and delaying its implementation before the current Federal Government finally agreeing to its immediate implementation following the MoU signed with Pakatan Harapan, the history behind Undi18 actually far exceeds what is seen on paper.

In fact, the movement to lower the voting age of Malaysians actually started 48 years ago in 1971 by none other than Lim Kit Siang. On 10 December 1971, Lim, then the MP for Kota Melaka proposed for our country lower its voting age from 21-years-old to 18-years-old in a Parliamentary motion so as to build a democratic core in Malaysia, which at that time was still relatively a new country in the global stage.

Recently, the veteran DAP lawmaker also shared how another one of his old proposals, this time regarding the introduction of an Anti-Party-Hopping law, would finally become a reality; 43 years after he moved for a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to do so which was ultimately unsuccessful.

In a statement today, Lim asserted,

“Fourty-three years ago, on 21 March 1978, I moved a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament for an anti-hopping law to deter political corruption and to ensure a cleaner political atmosphere. I did not succeed.”

The Iskandar Puteri MP then stressed as to how great it is to finally see an Anti-Party-Hopping law to be on the statute book after advocating it for more than four decades. He then referenced the MoU signed between Pakatan Harapan and the Federal Government which included several imperative reforms for Malaysia which includes the immediate implementation of Undi18 as well as an Anti-Party-Hopping law; two initiatives that Lim have been fighting for since the 1970s!

Here is the full transcript of Lim Kit Siang’s speech in Parliament advocating for an Anti-Hopping law on 21 March 1978:

“Nothing disgusts the Malaysian public more than to see MPs or State Assemblymen elected on one party’s ticket and then betray the Party and the people’s trust by switching parties. This makes them very little different from con-men. Such practices debase politics, and strengthen the general impression that ‘politics is dirty’, when it is the dirty people who get into politics to make politics dirty.

“The defection of MPs or State Assemblymen from parties on whose ticket they got elected is most undesirable and unethical, because they are elected not because of their personal qualities, but because of the Party they represent. Such practices also permit elected politicians to be bought and sold as if they are on the market place.

“If an elected MP resigns or is expelled from the Party on whose ticket he was originally elected, then he should resign his seat and cause a by-election to be held. If the resignation and expulsion is over a matter of political principle which has the support of the people, then the MP or State Assemblymen concerned should have no qualms about getting re-elected.”

Truly, the Transformation and Political Stability MoU between Pakatan Harapan and the Federal Government is a resounding victory for PH and the rakyat. For Lim Kit Siang in particular, it has finally made the imperative reforms for a better Malaysia that he has been fighting decades for become a reality.

A tremendous achievement for all Malaysians! – The Rocket.