PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul (pic) has confirmed receiving Bersatu's letter that the four Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) parliamentary seats should be vacated.
Johari said he received the letter from Bersatu vice president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee on Tuesday (Dec 27) and will act on it accordingly.
“I just received it. Let me read the whole thing. There are many things to look at.
“There are certain laws and procedures to be looked into," he said when contacted on Thursday (Dec 29).
Kiandee's letter said the party sought the vacating of the seats under the anti-hopping law provided under Article 49(A) (3) of the Federal Constitution.
ALSO READ: Bersatu asks Dewan Rakyat Speaker to vacate four seats under GRS
Kiandee said the four MPs were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang) and Datuk Jonathan Yassin (Ranau).
He said all of them were members of Bersatu and contested the Nov 19 general election using the GRS logo.
However, GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor then announced on Dec 10 that Sabah Bersatu leaders and the MPs were leaving the party.
At the Dec 19 Parliament sitting, the four MPs who won the election were seated in the government bloc under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Kiandee said their act of sitting in a bloc that did not support Bersatu, its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, or Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as Opposition Leader, constituted "crossing the floor" and violated the MPs' election promise to their voters.
"They must cease to be members of the Dewan Rakyat and their seats should be vacated," Kiandee said.
