Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul said he will decide within 21 days if the four Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) MPs should vacate their seats following their exodus from Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Johari (above) confirmed that he received an official letter from Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee on Dec 27, requesting the speaker to notify the Election Commission that the four parliamentary seats will be vacated.
"Under Article 49A(3), the speaker will decide whether these seats will be vacated," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
"Ronald suggested that the four (GRS) MPs should vacate their seats. I told him that I have not received anything yet. He wrote to me officially on Dec 27. So, now I got all his letters and I am acting on them.”
Johari said he needs to scrutinise the matter and hopes the issue will be resolved as soon as possible.
"I need to do a lot of reading and digging. I will work out the best position on how to respond to this and that would take some time," he added.
Immediately after the election, GRS initially pledged allegiance to Muhyiddin Yassin to serve as prime minister but their support wavered just five days later and after Anwar Ibrahim secured the top job.
On Dec 10, a group of 15 GRS assemblypersons and four MPs publicly declared that they were "exiting" Bersatu. The four MPs are Armizan Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau) and Matbali Musah (Sipitang).
This had led to claims that the four newly elected MPs have triggered the anti-hopping laws under Article 49A of the Federal Constitution and will have to vacate their seats.
GRS was formally registered on March 11. Although it is known publicly as a coalition of five parties, in the eyes of the Registrar of Societies and the EC, it is a normal political party.
GRS fielded 12 candidates for the Nov 19 general election of which six were successful.
Contested as Bersatu members
Earlier today, Ronald, who is also Bersatu vice-president, insisted that the four MPs were among the candidates who contested in GE15 as Bersatu members.
"Through a letter dated Nov 3 to Bersatu president Muhyiddin, the Sabah Bersatu secretary confirmed that the four MPs were among the candidates that contested in GE15 as Bersatu members. Their membership in GRS is made available as Bersatu members.”
Ronald said in a statement dated Nov 2, Sabah Berastu chief Hajiji Noor also announced that six candidates from Bersatu would represent GRS in GE15.
"However, as Dewan Rakyat commenced sitting on Dec 19, the four MPs were (spotted) sitting at the government bloc," he said, adding that the seat arrangement was not in line with Bersatu's status as an opposition party.
"This was a violation of the election pledged to the people. As a result, their membership in Bersatu has lapsed as stipulated in Bersatu's constitution. This matter has been notified via a letter from Bersatu dated Dec 21.
"According to Article 49A(3) of the Federal Constitution, the MPs must cease as a member of Dewan Rakyat and their seats should be vacated," said Ronald. - Mkini
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