4 Sabah MPs contested on GRS ticket, says Kitingan

 

Keningau MP Jeffrey Kitingan says the four MPs’ status should not be disputed as they were GRS members on nomination day, not Bersatu members. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The four MPs who quit Bersatu did not party-hop as they had contested in the 15th general election (GE15) on a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ticket, says Jeffrey Kitingan (GRS-Keningau).

Maintaining that their status as MPs should not be disputed, the GRS deputy chairman added that their “surat watikah” (appointment letter of candidates) was from GRS, not Bersatu.

The four MPs are Armizan Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau) and Matbali Musah (Sipitang).

Citing how the four had become GRS members on Oct 27, he said this effectively meant they ceased to be Bersatu members as a clause in Bersatu’s constitution stated that one’s membership would be terminated immediately if they joined another party.

“This means that these MPs were GRS members on nomination day, not Bersatu members. Therefore, there is no issue (of breaching the anti-hopping law).

“The anti-hopping law is only in effect if an MP who was elected on a party’s (ticket) leaves it for another,” he told the Dewan Rakyat while debating the motion of confidence in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Kitingan also said GRS can no longer be “dragged here and there” by leaders of peninsula-based political parties, now that it was a “100% Sabah party”.

“We want to determine our own fate and will support any party and prime minister that will pay attention to the issues and rights of Sabahans and Sarawakians.”

Earlier, Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) called for the vote of confidence to be postponed for 21 days to allow for the four MPs’ status to be scrutinised according to the anti-hopping law.

He insisted that the four of them were Bersatu members when nominated as candidates, citing a letter Sabah Bersatu had sent to party president Muhyiddin Yassin before GE15.

In the letter, Sabah Bersatu was said to have informed Muhyiddin that it would field six candidates for GE15 on a GRS ticket. Kiandee said this was proof that the four GRS MPs were in fact Bersatu candidates. - FMT