Two Bersatu MPs willing to vacate seats in accordance with party constitution

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Bersatu Members of Parliament (MPs) are willing to vacate their seats for supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim if the amendments to the party's constitution require them to do so.

“For my side, I have pledged support after deliberating for almost a year, even at the Opposition side, we could not benefit from anything (for the people) so I am ready (to vacate the seat) instead of withdrawing my support for the Prime Minister and going back to the start.

“I am willing to give it (the seat) back to the people and let them decide,” Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal said when asked if the amendments to the party constitution would affect them retrospectively.

Both Syed Abu Hussin and Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim said that it is a reality that the MPs from Bersatu who pledged their support to the government must face.

“We supported the Prime Minister by our own free will, and we are ready to face any consequences including vacating our seats,” he said in a press conference at the Parliament media room on Thursday (Feb 29).

On Feb 14, The Star reported that Bersatu is scheduled to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on March 2, to prevent any more members from breaking ranks by amending the party constitution to automatically expel rogue elected representatives.

Syed Abu Hussin and Mohd Azizi were part of the six Bersatu MPs choosing to support the Prime Minister since late last year.

The others were Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and the latest one is Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi who pledged his support on Jan 24.

On Dec 8 last year, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the action of the Opposition MPs who pledged their support to the PM did not violate Anti-Party Hopping laws as the MPs did not quit their political parties.

In a similar matter, Syed Abu Hussin said he was not getting paid for his appointment to lead the task force under the National Action Council on the Cost of Living (Naccol).

“We did not receive any salary or remuneration, we have given our support willingly and I was tasked with this position by the Prime Minister himself,” he added.

On Jan 28, Anwar appointed Syed Abu Hussin to head a committee under Naccol and tasked him with coordinating efforts to tackle the issue of rising food prices and cost of living.

Syed Abu Hussin is the first Opposition MP to helm such a position after the six MPs had pledged their support to the Prime Minister.