Amendment won’t affect 6 MPs who backed PM, says Mas Ermieyati

 

Bersatu women’s chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the amendment to the party’s constitution would not have a retrospective effect on the six Bersatu MPs but will apply to future cases.

PETALING JAYA: The six Bersatu MPs who pledged their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will not be affected after the party amends its constitution this Saturday to bar members from unilaterally switching support.

Bersatu women’s chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the amendment should not be applied retrospectively and affect their seats, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“I think the law would be unfair if it has retrospective effect. From what I understand, it won’t be so,” she was quoted as saying.

However, Mas Ermieyati said the amendment would be applied to other MPs intending to support Anwar in the future.

“Anyway, let’s see how the special Bersatu general assembly goes this Saturday.”

Earlier today, Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal and Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim expressed their readiness to vacate their seats if the party amends its constitution this Saturday to bar members from unilaterally switching support.

Syed Hussin and Azizi were among six Bersatu MPs who have declared their support for the prime minister. They said they did so to obtain development allocations for their constituencies.

The other four MPs are Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

On Jan 29, Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the party’s Supreme Council had approved the amendment of Article 10 of its constitution to ensure the compliance and loyalty of elected representatives.

The announcement came after the six MPs declared their support for Anwar’s unity government without leaving the party, enabling them to circumvent a provision in the Federal Constitution that would have required them to vacate their seats. - FMT