Bersatu MPs ready to vacate seats if party bars switching support
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim say they will let the people decide if amendments to the Bersatu constitution prevent changing support without approval.
(FMT) – Two Bersatu MPs have expressed their readiness to vacate their seats if the party amends its constitution this Saturday to bar members from unilaterally switching support.
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang) and Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) were among six Bersatu MPs who declared their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in recent months.
Syed Hussin said he was ready to accept the outcome of Bersatu’s upcoming special general assembly and would let the people decide his fate.
“We decided to support Anwar because our constituents derived no benefit during our one year in the opposition bloc,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.
“Rather than withdraw our support for Anwar, we are prepared to let the people decide (whether we should continue to represent them).”
Azizi said he, too, was prepared to “relinquish his mandate” if amendments to Bersatu’s constitution compel him to do so.
“My statement about backing the prime minister is sincere, and I am prepared to face any eventuality, including vacating my seat,” he said.
On Jan 29, Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the party’s Supreme Council had agreed to amend Article 10 of its constitution to keep its elected representatives in line.
The announcement came after the six MPs declared their support for Anwar’s unity government without leaving the party, enabling them to circumvent a provision in the Federal Constitution which would have required them to vacate their seats.
Hamzah said the council had also agreed to pursue legal action against any elected representative who betrays the party with the aim of having their seats vacated. He said the party is ready to face a by-election to regain the seats.
Apart from Syed Hussin and Azizi, the four other MPs who declared their support for Anwar are Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).
Meanwhile, Syed Hussin denied that his support of Anwar was tied to inducements such as an offer to lead the food cluster task force under the National Action Council for Cost of Living.
“These positions are gratuitous. I want to emphasise that we support PMX (Anwar) without any persuasion or reward, contrary to what was suggested during yesterday’s session,” he said, referring to remarks by Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan yesterday.
Chaos erupted in the Dewan Rakyat after Wan Saiful said he had been pressured and threatened multiple times to pledge his support for Anwar.
Wan Saiful claimed that he was offered an allocation of RM1.7 million for his constituency and told that his money laundering charges would “go away”.
