PETALING JAYA: The six Bersatu MPs who declared their support for the Prime Minister will be formally informed of the loss of their party membership, it has been revealed.
Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris said letters will be sent to the MPs concerned and to an assemblyman who announced his backing for the Selangor Mentri Besar.
“The party will notify them according to procedures as it involves technical matters. What is important is that they should understand that their seats belong to the party.
“They won based on the support of voters for the party and not on their own merit. The approval of the ROS (Registrar of Societies) is related to loss of party membership and the 6-plus-1 (six MPs and one assemblyman) should vacate their seats immediately so that by-elections can be held.
“They should not beat around the bush,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Razali said party secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin would issue the letters, but he did not say when.
This comes after the ROS approved amendments to Bersatu’s constitution to allow the party to revoke the membership of its elected representatives who go against the party’s stand.
Bersatu received notification of the ROS approval via a letter dated April 2 addressed to Hamzah.
On March 11, Hamzah and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin submitted the application for the ROS to approve the amendments.
This followed Bersatu’s special general assembly on March 2 which moved to amend the party constitution to automatically revoke the membership of MPs and state assemblymen who voiced support for other parties.
The six Bersatu MPs who declared their support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the PKR president, are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).
On March 7, Bersatu’s Selat Klang assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari pledged his support for Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who is from PKR.
The anti-hopping law that came into force in October 2022 states that an MP will lose his or her seat if that person ceases to be a member of the party concerned.
