Bersatu seeks recall of four MPs

KOTA KINABALU: The political tussle in Sabah continues with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia notifying the Dewan Rakyat to vacate four of its Members of Parliament who won their seats under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ticket.

However, Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is one of the four lawmakers whose positions are being questioned, insists there is no necessity for them to do so.In an immediate reaction, Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul said he would look into the matter.

Johari said he received a letter from Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee on Dec 27 and he will act accordingly in his capacity as Speaker.

Armizan said it was Kiandee’s right to express his views, but argued that it was not a question of GRS MPs defecting.

“I understand his disappointment and frustration of not being picked as a GRS candidate in GE15.

“We are GRS members. We contested under the GRS ticket and therefore, the question of crossing the floor does not arise,” he said when contacted.

Besides Armizan, the other GRS MPs under fire are Tourism, Arts and Culture deputy minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang) and Datuk Jonathan Yassin (Ranau).

Armizan said he won the Papar seat due to the support from his constituents, including those from various parties.

“I was elected as the Papar MP by the Papar voters, not by a new Malaya hero in Sabah,” he said, referring to Kiandee who retained his Beluran seat on a Perikatan Nasional ticket.

Kiandee contested the seat under the Perikatan logo after being dropped by GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in GE15.

Earlier, Kiandee said Bersatu was seeking to vacate the four parliamentary seats in line with the anti-hopping law provided for under Article 49 (A) (3) of the Federal Constitution.

He pointed out that then Sabah Bersatu chairman Hajiji had, on Nov 2, made a public announcement that six (of 13) GRS candidates were from Bersatu.

A letter from Sabah Bersatu to party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dated Nov 3 showed that the four were contesting the election as members of Bersatu, he alleged.

However, Kiandee said that on Dec 10, Hajiji announced that Sabah Bersatu party leaders, including the MPs, had left the party, citing the consideration of the current political landscape.At the Dec 19 Parliament sitting, the four winning MPs were sitting on the government bloc under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The act of joining and sitting in a bloc that does not support Bersatu is ‘crossing the floor’.

“As a result of that, their membership in Bersatu has lapsed in accordance with the party constitution.

“They must cease to be members of the Dewan Rakyat and their seats should be vacated,” Kiandee said.

He said Bersatu also requested for the Speaker to notify the Election Commission within 21 days from the date of the written notice so that the election process could be arranged to fill the vacancies.