MP moots ‘Wall of Frogs’ in Parliament for political defectors

MP moots ‘Wall of Frogs’ in Parliament for political defectors


PARLIAMENT | Once the anti-hopping law has been passed, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng proposed that a “Wall of Frogs” be set up in Parliament as a memorial to the actions of political defectors.

He said this during debates on the Constitutional (Amendment) (No 3) Bill 2022 at the Dewan Rakyat today.

“We should set up a wall - like a wall of shame, called ‘Wall of Katak (frogs)’ - somewhere in Parliament. It’d display a picture of the ‘frog’, the name, and the year of defection.

“It is a historical record, like going to the museum,” he told reporters outside Parliament chambers, when asked to elaborate on the proposal.

Lim (above) pointed out that since the events of the Sheraton Move in February 2020, a series of defections have led to two changes in the federal government, which culminated in the anti-hopping law being tabled in Parliament.

Once the law is enacted, such defections will be a thing of the past, he claimed.

“Even if they jump, there is no value (in the defection),” he said.

The Sheraton Move refers to a dinner gathering at Sheraton Hotel, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, to commemorate a new political alignment.


Led by Gombak MP Mohamed Azmin Ali, 11 MPs defected from PKR, which resulted in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government.

Under the constitutional amendment being considered at the Lower House, MPs will lose their seats if they quit or cease being a member of a party.

Dewan Rakyat, the Lower House of Parliament


However, an MP who was sacked from a party will not be disqualified.

Similarly, MPs will still keep their seats if their party is dissolved or merges with another party, or if they resign from their party in order to be a House speaker.

If an MP loses their seat this way, an election must take place within 60 days to replace the MP.

Senators and state legislative assembly members are not affected by this amendment.

However, Pengerang MP and chief proponent of the amendment Azalina Othman Said has warned state governments that they risk political instability if similar laws are not enacted at the state level.