Bersatu MPs ready to vacate seats over PMX support

TWO Bersatu MPs say they are willing to vacate their seat if amendments to the party constitution require them do so for supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

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

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

Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim said MPs from Bersatu, who pledged their support to the government, must face this reality.

“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 yesterday.

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

Syed Abu Hussin and Mohd Azizi were part of the six Bersatu MPs who pledged their support to the prime minister last year.

They were Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi was latest addition to the group who backed his support for the prime minister on Jan 24.

Despite pledging their support to the government from the Opposition bloc, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said on Dec 8, last year, that such a move does not violate the anti-party hopping law as the MPs did not quit their political parties.

Separately, Syed Abu Hussin said he was not paid for his appointment as chairman of the National Action Council on the Cost of Living (Naccol) task force (food cluster).

He said he gave his support willingly and was tasked with the position from the Prime Minister himself.

On Jan 28, Anwar announced that Syed Abu Hussin would head a committee under Naccol and was tasked to coordinate efforts to handle the matters involving the cost of living and rising prices of goods.

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