PETALING JAYA: It is up to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to decide whether six members of parliament who were expelled from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) can retain their seats, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"The issue of the six Bersatu parliamentary seats has been referred to the Dewan Rakyat speaker (Tan Sri Johari Abdul). Let the Speaker decide on that," he told reporters after attending Friday prayers at the Tun Abdul Aziz Mosque, here.
Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution states that a Dewan Rakyat seat shall become vacant if the MP resigns from his party or ceases to be a member of joins another party. However, Article 49A (2) (c) states that an exception to the vacancy rule is if the member is expelled from the party.
Bersatu yesterday submitted a notice to Johari requesting that the six parliamentary seats held by its representatives, who supported Anwar, be vacated.
Bersatu vice president Datuk Dr Ronald Kiandee, in a statement, said the notice to inform the vacancies at the six parliamentary seats was submitted in accordance to Article 49A of the Federal Constitution.
The notices on the vacancies at the six parliamentary seats, said Kiandee, were signed by him in his capacity as the Bersatu chief whip.
The six Bersatu members of Parliament who supported Anwar were Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanafi (Tanjong Karang).
The Dewan Rakyat will convene for 15 days starting this Monday until July 18.