MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has dismissed Penang’s plan to implement a law to prevent state assemblypersons from defecting mid-term as a mere publicity stunt.

NONE He said DAP, which leads the Pakatan Rakyat administration in Penang, was well aware that such a law would be against the federal constitution, which guarantees freedom of association.

"When you go to the state assembly to amend the state constitution, it will look good and bring a lot of publicity... but they know it is against the federal constitution to restrict political freedom, it will be ultra vires .

"So, at the end of the day it is just for show and they will blame the federal government when they cannot do it," Chua told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

If the DAP was truly sincere about pushing this cause, he added, it should instead amend its constitution.

"The party constitution is the easiest way to amend, to say that the party will not accept any party hopper or political frog, or if they jump, they will not be offered any seat (to contest). The whole story ends, why you need to go to the state assembly?" he said.

'MCA hasn't accepted any hopper'

Asked whether MCA would also follow through with such a suggestion, Chua replied: "No, I never say anything. As far as my party is concerned, we have not accepted any party hopper since the March 8 general election."

Chua also hit out DAP for accepting what he described as "two Umno frogs" without naming them.

In January this year, former Umno Pulau Manis assemblyperson Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz and with fellow Umno blogger Aspan Alias joined the DAP , citing dissatisfaction with Umno.

Chua said that during the infamous Sept 16 statement of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, in which he threatened to topple government through defections, the DAP did not speak out against it - and neither did it speak out against the recent Sabah defections.