KUALA LUMPUR – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul said he has up to 21 days to decide whether the four Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) MPs have to vacate their seats after quitting Bersatu.
He told Malaysiakini that under Article 49A(3) of the federal constitution, the speaker has to decide if those seats should be vacated.
“Ronald suggested that the four (GRS) MPs should vacate their seats. I told him that I have not received anything yet. He wrote to me officially on December 27. So, now I got all his letters and I am acting on them,” Johari was quoted as saying.
He added that he would have to do “a lot of reading and digging”.
Earlier, Kiandee, in a statement, said Sabah Bersatu has filed a notice with the Dewan Rakyat speaker over the legitimacy of the four MPs.
He added that it 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 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.
“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.” – The Vibes, December 29, 2022
