Fifty-two senators supported the bill while seven senators were absent when the voting took place.

The bill was tabled for its second reading by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob earlier. It passed the second and third reading.

A total of 33 senators participated in the debate session.

The historic bill was passed with overwhelming support by 209 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat last month. Eleven MPs were absent when the voting took place.

Ismail had urged all senators to support the bill.

“The anti-hopping law will send a clear message to MPs to uphold the principles of the parties they represent and respect the people’s mandate,” he said when tabling the bill.

During today’s debate, senator Arman Azha Abu Hanifah said the law was crucial and timely given that “political frogs” were an “embarrassment” to the country.

Senator Susan Chemerai Anding said the public had lost faith in the nation’s democratic system as a result of party hopping and political instability.

“The mandate of the people is more important than political interests,” she said.

Senator Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol believed that the law would hold elected representatives accountable to voters and ensure that they uphold integrity.

“If our MPs cannot put their moral standing under check, let the law check their moral standing.”

In his winding-up speech, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he would meet the prime minister after the vote in the upper house, adding that Ismail would issue a letter to each state government imploring them to adopt the law.

Under the bill, MPs will lose their seats if they choose to jump to another party. Exceptions will be given to MPs who are sacked by their party or if their party is dissolved or deregistered.

An MP who is elected as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker will also be exempted from the law.

The law will not apply to members of the Dewan Negara, as currently, senators are elected by state assemblies or through political appointment by the federal government and do not stand for public election.

The bill will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his assent before being gazetted.

Wan Junaidi previously said the law would be gazetted in the first week of September “if all goes to plan”.

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