KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Bersatu has filed a notice to the Dewan Rakyat speaker over the questionable status of the four MPs from Sabah who quit Bersatu.
Sabah Bersatu chief Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said the move was aimed at determining whether the parliamentary seats were vacated in view of Article 49A(3) of the federal constitution, as the four MPs contested in the general election as Bersatu members using the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) logo.
The four MPs from Bersatu are Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau) and Matbali Musah (Sipitang)
Kiandee, in his statement today, also reiterated the letter from the state Bersatu liaison body dated November 3 to Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin confirming that the four MPs were Bersatu candidates in the recent general election.
“As a matter of fact, the GRS chairman at the time, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, on November 2 also announced the names of six candidates from Bersatu who will be representing GRS in GE15.
“However, on December 10, Hajiji, also in a statement, announced to the media that all Bersatu leaders had exited from the party.
“In the recent parliamentary sitting on December 19, the four MPs were sitting in the government bloc.
“Their actions in becoming part of and sitting (in Parliament) against Bersatu are viewed as crossing the floor and going against their election pledges to their voters,” he said here today.
Kiandee insisted that their Bersatu membership had been automatically revoked in accordance with the party constitution.
He said this matter was also notified in a letter from Bersatu dated December 21 and therefore, their status MPs have ceased, and they need to vacate their seats in accordance with the federal constitution.
“I would also request the speaker to take note of this matter and inform the Election Commission in 21 days from this written notice to commence the process of by-elections to fill the empty seats,” he added. – The Vibes, December 29, 2022
