The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been tasked with looking into nine elected assemblymen who left the party earlier this year, according to Sabah-based Parti Warisan.

Its vice-president, Datuk Jaujan Sambakong, stated to Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia, that some members may have left due to corruption, particularly those who later joined another party.

"Why don't the relevant authorities, such as MACC, examine them as per their duty? In today's news story, he was cited as adding, "They might be offered compensation."

As of now this year, nine Sabah assemblymen have left Warisan. Of them, three resigned in February and joined the ruling Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS): Ben Chong Chen Bin (Tanjong Kapor), Mohammad Mohamarin (Banggi), and Norazlinah Arif (Kunak).

Datuk Hassan A. Gani Pg Amir (Sebatik), Datuk Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi (Segama), Datuk Peter Anthony (Melalap), Datuk Juil Nuatim (Limbahau), and Rina Jainal (Kukusan) are the other six that departed Warisan for other parties.

A law was passed in Malaysia in an effort to stop elected officials from defecting and upending the administration.

On October 5 of last year, the Federal Constitution's Eighth Schedule, which relates to assemblymen, and Article 49A, which relates to MPs, went into effect. These provisions stipulated that the incumbents would lose their seats if they joined a different party or turned independent after winning.

This rule does include three exceptions, though. Three things may happen to the incumbent: first, his party could dissolve or deregister; second, he could be sacked by his party; and third, he could leave the party after winning the election to become Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat or his state parliament.

A few months after outgoing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor led a group of assemblymen out of Bersatu shortly after GE15 last November and kept control of the state government under GRS, Sabah implemented a similar anti-party hopping law in May of this year.