Perlis speaker U-turns on by-election for 3 seats

Perlis assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan previously requested the EC to hold the by-elections following the termination of the trio’s PAS memberships.

Perlis assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan previously said by-elections were necessary to ensure political stability. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Perlis assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan has retracted a request that the Election Commission hold by-elections for three seats that were vacated after the assemblymen had their PAS memberships terminated.

At a press conference in Arau today, Rus’sele said he had decided to retract the notice to the EC after PAS pledged to support the new menteri besar, Abu Bakar Hamzah of Bersatu.

“PAS has given its commitment to ensuring that the state government will remain in place,” he said.

On Dec 25, Rus’sele announced that the Chuping, Bintong and Guar Sanji seats were vacated as the trio were not sacked but had their PAS memberships “terminated” for retracting support for then menteri besar Shukri Ramli.

While no by-elections were necessary as the state assembly automatically dissolves in two years, he had said he would write to the EC to ask for them to be held anyway as it was necessary to ensure political stability.

Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) had joined five Bersatu assemblymen in submitting statutory declarations to the Raja of Perlis declaring that they had withdrawn support for Shukri.

Their PAS memberships were subsequently terminated, while Shukri later resigned as menteri besar citing health reasons.

Abu Bakar, the Kuala Perlis assemblyman, was later appointed as the new menteri besar.

While PAS vowed to back Abu Bakar’s state government, the party said it would be staying out of the state executive council.

Yesterday, Abu Bakar said his exco will consist of himself and Bersatu’s four other assemblymen.

The 15-member Perlis assembly currently comprises six assemblymen from PAS, five from Bersatu and one from PKR, while three seats remain vacant. - FMT