Formally claiming ‘vacancy’, Bersatu writes to Dewan Rakyat Speaker to initiate fresh polls for four Sabah seats

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has formally sent a notice to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker in a bid to boot out four of its former members who contested and won the 15th general election (GE15) under Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said the notice is to inform the Speaker of the four vacancies in the Sabah parliamentary seats according to Article 49A(3) of the Federal Constitution, and to begin the election process to fill them.

“Through a letter dated 3 November 2022 from the Secretary of the Sabah Bersatu to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the President of Bersatu has confirmed that the four Dewan Rakyat members are among the candidates who will contest in GE15 as members of Bersatu.

“Their membership in GRS is as Bersatu party members,” Kiandee said in a statement today.

Citing Article 49A(3), Kiandee said the four MPs should vacate their seats immediately.

“Furthermore, the Dewan Rakyat Speaker is requested to notify the Election Commission (EC) of this matter within 21 days from the date of receipt of the written notice so that the election process can be arranged to fill the vacancy,” he added.

He named the four disputed MPs and their seats as Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Ranau), and Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang).

Kiandee sought to explain the situation by a chronological recollection of the events that led up to the dispute.

According to the Beluran MP who is the new Sabah Bersatu chief, his predecessor Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had announced on November 2 that six candidates from the party would represent GRS to contest in GE15.

However, he noted that Hajiji declared in a press statement on December 10 that all Sabah Bersatu leaders had left the party.

He said that in the first post-GE15 Dewan Rakyat sitting on December 19, the Sabah quartet sat as part of the government bloc.

“The act of joining and sitting in a bloc that does not support the Bersatu party led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is also Bersatu President and Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as the Opposition Leader counts as ‘crossing the floor’ and it violates their election promise to the voters.

“As a result of that, their membership as members of the Bersatu party has lapsed according to the party's constitution and this matter has been informed through Bersatu's letter dated 21 December 2022,” Kiandee said.