KOTA BARU: Former Nenggiri assemblyman Mohd Azizi Abu Naim has the right to challenge the Kelantan state assembly speaker's decision to declare his seat vacant yesterday.
Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah today said neither the state government nor the party that Azizi had represented could stop him from taking legal action.
"I was informed yesterday that the former Nenggiri assemblyman (Azizi) will take the issue (about his seat vacancy) to court.
"As the state speaker, I cannot stop him from doing so.
"Azizi has the right to find his own way to settle the problem," said Amar when met in his Panchor constituency here.
He said Azizi's case was similar to what had happened in Penang.
"The difference is that Azizi was from Bersatu. He lost his membership recently and had contested in the 15th General Election on a Pas ticket."
He said his office had handed over the notice on the seat vacancy to the state Election Commission soon after he made the announcement.
Amar, in a news conference, declared the Nenggiri seat vacant, paving the way for a possible by-election.
He said the seat was declared vacant effective today, following a notification of Azizi's membership revocation from Bersatu on June 13.
Following the revocation, Amar said the state assembly decided to vacate the seat effective today in accordance with Phase Three of Article 31(A) of the state constitution.
Azizi said he would meet his lawyer to discuss a legal response to the speaker's decision.
He said he was surprised at how fast the speaker had acted. He added that he thought the announcement would come later.