KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) supreme council has decided to take legal action against MPs who betray the party and will have their parliamentary seats vacated after the party agreed to amend Article 10 of the party’s constitution on the expulsion of members.

Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin in a statement today said the decision was made to prevent other Bersatu MPs from following the footsteps of the six MPs who have so far declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to purportedly receive funding for development projects.

"We have also agreed to take legal action against any elected representatives who have betrayed the party and for their seats to be vacated. Bersatu is ready to face by-elections,” he said.

The decision was reached in a meeting here last night which spanned over four hours.

The actions of the six Bersatu MPs currently do not offend the anti-hopping law as they have not resigned from the party but merely declared support for the Prime Minister.

The anti-hopping law also provides that a lawmaker will not be disqualified from holding his seat in the event he is expelled from the political party he was in when he was elected.

Presently, the six lawmakers from Bersatu who have declared support of Anwar so far are Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim, Jeli MP Zahari Kechik in backing Anwar, Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal and the most recent is Tanjong Karang MP Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi who declared support on January 24.

Before the Tanjong Karang MP declared support for Anwar five days ago, Syed Abu disclosed that 10 more lawmakers from Perikatan Nasional will declare support for the prime minister upon the reconvening of Parliament in February.

So far, only Labuan MP and Kuala Kangsar MP have been suspended from the party.

In November last year, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin called for the government to review the anti-hopping law following the Bersatu MPs declaring support for Anwar.