Two out of seven Bersatu elected representatives - who chose to back Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - have indicated that they will ignore the party's orders to “affirm their loyalty” within 14 days and vacate seats.
Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal deemed the order to pledge their loyalty as “meaningless”, asserting that he would not answer the letter issued to him.
“I will wait for their actions (after 14 days), and if a by-election happens, I will contest,” Syed Abu Hussin was quoted as saying by Berita Harian today.
“What I did was to show that their (Bersatu) actions are not right. They are ruining the minds of the people and disturbing MPs in carrying out their duties,” he added.
He was commenting on the letter issued by Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin to all of its party members demanding them to affirm their loyalty within 14 days.
Syed Abu Hussin also said he had referred the letter to lawyers as well as former judges and was informed that Bersatu had committed an offence for deliberately causing disruption and incitement.
The lawmaker was then cited as saying by the Malay daily that he expects all the seven elected representatives – six MPs and one Selangor assemblyperson - who have “switched allegiance” to be ready to take action if necessary to give Bersatu a “wake-up call”.
Yesterday, Hamzah said party members have to respond by carrying out the instructions and sending the letter back within 14 days from the date the instructions were given, which was on May 17.
This means that the deadline for the Bersatu representatives falls on May 31.
Hamzah said there were special orders in the letters for the seven elected representatives but fell short of disclosing details.
Failure to acknowledge receiving the letters and reply to them within the given period, Hamzah said, would see them automatically stripped of their party membership.
Aside from Syed Abu Hussin, the other five MPs are Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang).
Selat Klang assemblyperson Abdul Rashid Asari also announced his support for Anwar.
Reject demand to vacate seat
Meanwhile, Labuan lawmaker Suhaili was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today that he had received a letter signed by Hamzah demanding him to vacate his seat after being stripped of his Bersatu membership effective yesterday.
Suhaili said he rejected the demand, asserting that he would continue to represent the people of Labuan and remain supportive of Anwar and Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.
He also claimed that the content of the letter issued to him via email late last evening was different.
He alleged that there were no additional instructions as received by the other five MPs who were given 14 days to respond.
“There were no ‘14 days’ and ‘additional instructions’ because I’m taking them to court... in accordance with the constitution, the membership will automatically be stripped if any member does so.
“Since December last year, it has been proven that I have become an independent MP because I was sacked from Bersatu for bringing an internal party political matter to court,” Suhaili told FMT.
“So, I do not have to vacate my seat because I have been sacked based on the Federal Constitution (anti-hopping law), which holds more weight compared to the Bersatu constitution.”
Yesterday, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the party is set to file a notice to the Dewan Rakyat seeking to vacate the seats of six of its MPs who chose to back Anwar.
In April, the Registrar of Societies approved an amendment to the Bersatu constitution, enabling the party to act against the six members. Under the newly amended constitution, these lawmakers must immediately vacate their seats.
The amendment to Article 10 of Bersatu’s constitution stipulates matters of resignation and dismissal of party members.
Under the approved amendment, any Bersatu elected representative who defected from the party would automatically cease to be a member of the party.
In doing so, the defectors will also trigger the anti-hopping law per Article 49A of the Federal Constitution and their seats will be vacated.
- Mkini
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