SELAYANG – Bersatu wants to amend its constitution to have all party defectors sacked and their parliamentary seats vacated, said party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Speaking at Bersatu’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today, Muhyiddin hoped that party members would be in favour of the proposed amendment, adding that the lawmakers have betrayed the party by pledging their support to the government.
“We want to amend the party’s constitution so that their (members who shifted support) memberships are terminated immediately, and in line with Article 49(a) of the Federal Constitution, their seats would be vacated.
“We will then have a by-election, and return the mandate to the people in the six constituencies. The betrayers will lose, we will give them zero,” he said at Ideal Convention Centre in Selayang today.
Muhyiddin said Bersatu intends to send a notice to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker for the six seats to be vacated, expressing confidence that the party’s amended constitution will strengthen it.
Should a by-election take effect, Muhyiddin said Perikatan Nasional will win big in all six constituency seats with the support of PAS, claiming that they belong to Bersatu.
The proposed amendment today is set to be tabled by party deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
In recent months, a total of six Bersatu lawmakers have pledged support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration while remaining in the opposition party.
The group consists of Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang MP), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), and Datuk Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tg Karang).
Current anti-hopping laws stipulate that lawmakers would lose their constituency seat if they joined another party or resigned on their own accord. However, the law does not apply if they are sacked from their parties.
Similarly, the law does not address lawmakers who defy party orders and yet remain in the organisation. This legal “loophole” saw DAP amend its constitution to cover the gap. – March 2, 2024