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PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz has come out in support of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul on the issue of Bersatu's bid to vacate the seat of six lawmakers.
The Malaysian ambassador to the United States said Johari has acted consistently with the law against political defections, which was supported by Bersatu in Parliament.
"The specific clause to prevent a lawmaker from losing his seat as a result of expulsion due to his political allegiance is in the law," he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani on Thursday (July 11).
"Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as a former prime minister should understand this principle," said the former Padang Rengas MP.
Nazri said Opposition members supporting a Bill brought by the government has happened before, which is the same as the six Bersatu MPs supporting government Bills.
On July 10, Johari said that the six former Bersatu MPs will retain their seats.
In the much-awaited ruling, he said Bersatu’s new regulations, which declared that the six had ceased to be members, had violated the Federal Constitution and laws related to Parliament.
Muhyiddin expressed disappointment with the decision, calling on Johari to uphold the “true intention" of amendments made to Article 49A, also known as the anti-party hopping law.
He had said that the party is considering legal action to contest the Speaker's decision not to vacate the six seats.
