Dr M and co: Not supporting Muhyiddin doesn't mean we left Bersatu

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the four other parliamentarians who were booted out of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia recently have claimed that they are still members of the party.

They said the letter issued by Bersatu organising secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya or statements by any individual did not change the fact that their sacking was against the party constitution and was motivated by bad intentions.

"Excuses that we lost our membership because we sat in certain seats in Parliament is not in the party constitution," they said in a joint statement on Tuesday (June 2).

The statement was jointly issued by Dr Mahathir, his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and Dr Maszlee Malik.

Suhaimi had sent them letters saying that their membership ceased after they decided to sit with the Opposition during the Parliament meeting on May 18.

They five, however, said they never declared they were leaving the party or joining any other political party in the country.

"Our choice not to support the government of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or Perikatan Nasional does not mean we left the party.

"This cannot be determined by the organising secretary unless a complaint has been made to the disciplinary committee and the accused is given the opportunity to defend himself," they said.

They added that Article 6 of the party referred to the objective and the goal behind the establishment of the party, with Article 6.7 stating the agenda of fighting corruption and the misuse of power.

On May 29, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the five terminated their membership on their own volition and were not expelled.

The five were issued letters on May 28 stating that they had terminated their memberships with immediate effect under the Clauses 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 of the Bersatu party constitution by preferring to sit with the opposition bloc in Parliament on May 18.

Clauses 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 state that the membership of a member will be terminated automatically through the actions of announcing their exit from the party and partaking or joining as a member of any other political party in the country.