KUALA LUMPUR – It is the prerogative of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to decide the fate of the Bersatu MPs who have switched their allegiance to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking to Scoop, Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman said that if the speaker decides they must vacate their seats, they will comply accordingly.
“The speaker and the court will determine all decisions; whether the seats will be vacated or not, it is not Machang MP’s (Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad) decision.
“We (the six MPs) also need not panic; we just wait for the party’s decision.
“We will adhere to the speaker’s directive. Should the speaker receive a letter from Bersatu instructing us to vacate, we will comply accordingly.”
Suhaili also said that he and the other five Bersatu MPs, who have expressed support for Anwar, will be meeting the speaker this Friday.
“We have submitted an application to meet the speaker but have yet to receive a response from the office,” he said, adding that he has not received any letter from Bersatu pertaining to the matter yet.
It was reported that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) had approved the amendment to Bersatu’s constitution as it meets the requirements of Section 11 of the Societies Act 1966.
RoS director-general Datuk Mohd Zulkifar Ahmad said the proposed amendments were done according to the constitution.
Armada chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad said the amended constitution, which will take effect next Monday, allows the party to vacate the seats of the MPs who switched their support.
Meanwhile, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim maintains that his position as the people’s representative will not be affected, even though the RoS has approved the amendments.
He said the constitution would not affect him since it will come into effect on April 1, whereas his declaration of support for Anwar was last year.
“Each party possesses the right to enact and amend its constitution in accordance with the current circumstances. But congratulations to Bersatu for securing approval from RoS within such a short period of time.
“This also goes to show that the prime minister and the unity government do not intervene in the management of government agencies or ministries,” he said.
Azizi said that as a Bersatu member, he respects every clause and section in the party’s constitution.
“However, I will consistently maintain my stance, as I articulated on November 7, to support the unity government led by the prime minister.
Bersatu was reported to have approved Article 10 of the party’s constitution after garnering support from 1,956 delegates at the Special General Assembly held at the iDEAL Convention Centre (iDCC) in Selayang.
The constitutional amendment was initiated in response to the actions of the six Bersatu MPs who expressed their support for the Prime Minister.
The MPs who pledged support for Anwar were Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanafi (Tanjong Karang). – April 3, 2024