PETALING JAYA: Labuan MP Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (pic) is not budging from his stance to back Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim despite being issued a letter by Bersatu that he has ceased to be a member.He claimed that the letter to him from the Bersatu leadership was different from the others who had pledged support for Anwar.
While his letter stated that he ceased to be a member immediately, Suhaili also claimed that the other five rebel MPs were told to renounce their support to the Prime Minister, repent and state their full support for the current leadership of Bersatu.
He said the other MPs and state assemblymen were told to reply to the party within 14 days from May 17 and vouch their support for the party leadership.
They were also asked to write to the Speaker stating that they are still in support of Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional.
Suhaili said the party seemed to have “forgotten” that he had filed a case challenging the cessation of his membership from Bersatu.
“With the case pending, there is nothing that states that I am still not a member of the party despite my support for Anwar,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said that the letters were sent to all Bersatu elected representatives and not only the rebels. He said it was part of housekeeping.
“When Suhaili made his announcement to support the Prime Minister, he should have known that according to the party constitution, it was akin to declaring him leaving the party.
“As for the other five MPs and state assemblymen who had stated their support for the unity government, we have applied the amended clauses 10.4 and 10.5 as we want to give them a chance to repent and return to the party folds should they openly agree to renounce their support for Prime Minister Anwar and support the party leadership,” he said.
The six MPs who went rogue since last year, besides Suhaili, were Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Tanjong Karang MP Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi.
On March 6, Selat Klang state representative Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari of Bersatu also shifted his allegiance to the unity government.
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz said that supporting the Prime Minister does not warrant him to getting such a letter from the party.
“That letter asking me to repent is meaningless. I will not reply to that letter. I am prepared for whatever actions the party leadership will take against me – even if it means I would have to defend the parliamentary seat again in a by-election,” Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz said.
When contacted, Zahari declined to comment on whether he would reply to the Bersatu leadership’s letter.
“Technically, I am an MP under the PAS logo although I am a Bersatu member. As for the letter, I will not be saying anything on it,” he said.
