Our fate lies with courts and Dewan Rakyat Speaker, says Labuan MP ahead of Bersatu EGM

– Bernama

PETALING JAYA: It’s up to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul and the courts to decide on the fate of the six Bersatu MPs who pledged support for the Prime Minister, says Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (pic).

The Labuan MP, who is one of the six, said this ahead of the party’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month.

“They (Bersatu) can amend the party’s constitution (to) whatever they like, but at the end of the day, the fate of the MPs will be decided by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and the courts whether if the seat should be vacated or not,” he said.

The other five Bersatu MPs are Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Tanjong Karang MP Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi.

Suhaili added that any amendment made in the upcoming EGM held on March 2 should be referred to for future cases instead of the top leaders training their guns towards the six MPs.

He also emphasised that he would remain loyal to the party and would not be pressured to resign by certain leaders within the party.

“Bersatu can do whatever they like until the very day they decide to expel (me), but I am still a loyal party member, and my support to PM will remain,” he said when contacted Saturday (Feb 17).

On Jan 31, Suhaili challenged Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin to expel those who pledged their support to the Prime Minister from the party and said that legal action from the party against the six would be pointless as any amendment to Article 10 of the party’s constitution cannot be applied on a backdated incident.

He also said that the six MPs had received their punishment from the party for their actions. Suhaili and Iskandar were suspended from the party on November 7, last year, for six and four years, respectively.

The Labuan MP also claimed that the party did not expel the six MPs because Bersatu wanted to maintain its numbers in Parliament.

On Feb 14, Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris said the special delegates’ meeting would be held at the Ideal Convention Centre in Shah Alam to amend Clause 10 of the party constitution to automatically expel elected representatives who go rogue.

Bersatu leaders said this amendment would see the rogue MPs becoming Independents and that if they tried to join any other party, their seats would be declared vacant and by-elections called under the anti-hopping law.