Bersatu receives notification of no seat vacancies from Dewan Rakyat speaker

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu has received a notification letter from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul that there are no vacancies of parliamentary seats involving its six former members who pledged support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the notification letter dated July 9, was received late yesterday afternoon.

"The Dewan Rakyat Speaker says that there are no vacancies of parliamentary seats held by former Bersatu members in accordance with Article 49A of the Federal Constitution," he said in a statement here today.

In the statement, Muhyiddin also expressed disappointment with the decision as Bersatu Supreme Leadership Council had already terminated the party membership of the six members of Parliament (MPs) and that they can no longer represent Bersatu in the Dewan Rakyat.

"Under Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966, the decision of a political party made on the interpretation of its constitution shall be final and conclusive," he said.

As such, Muhyiddin said Bersatu would engage a legal expert to take an appropriate course of action following the notification.

The six rogue MPs are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang).

On June 20, Bersatu chief whip Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said that the party has submitted notices to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker's office on the status of its six MPs, whose memberships have been revoked by the party, in accordance with Article 49A of the Federal Constitution.

The six MPs were served with the notice of immediate termination of party membership on June 12 after failing to respond to a notice to confirm their loyalty to the party.

-- BERNAMA

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