Speaker: By-election needed for three Perlis state seats

Perlis state legislative assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan has announced unexpected vacancies of three state seats after their assemblypersons’ memberships in PAS were terminated.

The three seats are Chuping, Bintong, and Guar Sanji.

Although the current term has already reached a mature stage of three years, Rus'sele (above) expressed the view that there is a need to hold by-elections for all three seats.

He added that the vacant seat status will be notified to the Election Commission soon.

“Under normal circumstances, based on Clause (5) of Article 55 of the Perlis State Constitution, there is no requirement to hold a by-election for an unexpected vacancy once the state legislative assembly has reached the age of three years or more.

“However, in my assessment and consideration, based on the current developments in the state of Perlis, I am satisfied that the three unexpected vacancies have affected the numbers that make up the majority of all assemblypersons.

“In such circumstances, the three vacancies must be filled in the interest of government stability so that the best services can be delivered to the people,” he said at a press conference at the Speaker’s Office at Kompleks Seri Putra in Kangar today.

Political turmoil

Malaysiakini reported earlier that PAS had terminated the memberships of three of its Perlis state assemblypersons - Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong), and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) - with immediate effect.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the decision was made based on Clause 76 and Clause 15A(1)(b) of the PAS Constitution (2025 amendment).

The clauses refer to actions that result in the termination of party membership, including joining or expressing support for any party or side that is contrary to the party’s directives or stance.

The move is believed to be linked to turmoil within the Perlis state government following efforts to unseat Menteri Besar Shukri Ramli.

Several reports previously cited sources claiming that five Bersatu assemblypersons and three PAS assemblypersons had submitted statutory declarations (SDs) to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, stating that they had lost confidence in Shukri.

Federal level

At the federal level, a similar move by six Bersatu MPs to pledge support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim eventually saw them being allowed to keep their seats.

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, on July 10, said Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul made the ruling in response to Bersatu’s bid to vacate the seats.

Muhyiddin at the time did not divulge why Johari had rejected Bersatu’s bid, but Malaysiakini sighted a letter in which the speaker argued that the rule used to forfeit the MPs’ memberships had violated their constitutional rights and the Parliament rule that guaranteed their freedom to speak, debate, and vote.

Six Bersatu MPs who pledged support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

That rule stipulates that Bersatu members who go against their party are considered to have forfeited their membership.

In theory, their move should have also triggered the anti-hopping law, which punishes MPs who leave their parties or join another, but Johari at the time argued that the anti-hopping provisions in the Federal Constitution are meant to ensure political stability.

Hence, after considering all evidence and testimony, the speaker ruled that there was no need for the Bersatu MPs to vacate their seats and that they are still considered opposition lawmakers.

Reasons to be submitted to EC

Rus’sele further said his office would submit the reasons for the disruption to the majority numbers in the Perlis state assembly to the Election Commission.

“I will exercise the discretion provided under the proviso to Clause (5) of Article 55 of the Perlis State Constitution to inform the Election Commission that the numerical strength of the parties forming the majority of all assemblypersons has been affected.

“And I will request the Election Commission to hold by-elections to fill all three unexpected vacancies.

“The reasons why the numbers forming the majority in the Perlis state assembly have been affected will be detailed in a written notification to the Election Commission,” he said.

He added that the three-year term of the Perlis state assembly began with its first sitting on Dec 19, 2022, and ends on Dec 18, 2025. - Mkini