PETALING JAYA – The fate of the six former Bersatu lawmakers lies with the Dewan Rakyat speaker after the party sent out a notice to Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s office, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The issue of the six seats occupied by the former Bersatu members has to be referred to the speaker. Let him decide,” Anwar told reporters after Friday prayers at the Tun Abdul Aziz Mosque here today.
Yesterday, Bersatu notified the speaker of the terminated memberships of six MPs who had gone against the party line.
Party chief whip Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said the “notices of seat vacancies” were issued in accordance with the anti-party hopping provisions under Article 49A of the Federal Constitution.
With this, he said, Johari “has no choice but to declare the six parliamentary seats vacant and to inform the Election Commission to plan for by-elections”.
The notices submitted to Johari were for six lawmakers – Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tg Karang) and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang).
These six MPs – and Selat Klang assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari – had previously declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but did not leave Bersatu.
Following amendments to its party constitution, Bersatu terminated their memberships after they failed to respond to a written instruction from the party’s leadership council to pledge allegiance to the party.
The federal anti-hopping law does not require a seat vacancy if an elected representative is sacked by their party but a seat becomes vacant if a lawmaker resigns or ceases to be a member of the party. – June 21, 2024