00:00 A fixed-term Parliament Act, such as the one previously employed by the UK, will not prevent
00:08 a repeat of political manoeuvres such as the Sheraton Move.
00:11 This is what two political analysts had to say after the law, part of a package of political
00:16 reforms proposed by civil society leaders to the government and opposition, was put
00:20 forth last month.
00:22 O E Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the Act was intended to limit
00:27 the Prime Minister's power to choose an election date, ensuring regular election schedules
00:32 and preventing snap polls.
00:34 However, he said it was never meant to prevent MPs from defecting.
00:38 The Sheraton Move in 2020 saw the collapse of the first Bangkadan Harapan administration
00:43 after Bersatu left the coalition to form a new government in alliance with a group of
00:47 MPs from Barisan Nasional.
00:49 Lately, speculation has been rife over what has come to be known as the Dubai Move, an
00:55 alleged plot to topple the Anwar Ibrahim administration.
00:59 Analyst James Chin of the University of Tasmania also questioned the point of introducing the
01:03 law in Malaysia, saying the UK itself had repealed it in 2022 after finding it useless.
01:10 He said the Act would have no effect and couldn't prevent events like a Dubai or Sheraton Move,
01:16 as these involved forming a government by the MP who has the majority on the floor of
01:21 Parliament.
01:21 (upbeat music)
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