KELANTAN state assembly speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has declared the Nenggiri state seat held by Bersatu’s Mohd Azizi Abu Naim vacant, effective immediately.
According to a Kosmo! Online report, Amar said the decision was made after the Kelantan state assembly had received a written notice from Bersatu on June 13.
“The Kelantan state assembly received a written notice under clause (3) of Article 31A of the Kelantan State Government Constitution from a member of the state assembly regarding Mohd Azizi losing his Bersatu membership,” he was reported as saying.
“With this, I announce the unexpected vacancy of the Nenggiri state seat represented by Mohd Azizi.”
Mohd Amar said according to Clause 4(4) Article 31(A) of the state’s Constitution, the vacant seat must be filled within 60 days from the date the Election Commission (EC) received the vacancy notice.
On June 2, it was reported that the membership of six MPs from Bersatu who had declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had been automatically revoked.
Astro Awani reported Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal as saying that the rogue MPs’ membership was cancelled because they violated the party’s instructions to sign a loyalty letter.
The Machang MP said their refusal to sign the letter also caused them to lose their parliamentary seats, adding if they still support the prime minister they violate the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Bersatu policies and therefore are no longer considered party members.
On June 14, NST reported Mohd Azizi, who is also the Gua Musang MP, as saying that he had received the notice signed by Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin stating that the party had revoked his membership.
However, he said he will not vacate the seat as the notice from Bersatu was “very vague”, adding that the party leadership was also “unfair and unprofessional” in its dealings with him as a party member who had helped raise the party’s image in the 15th general election.
The six Bersatu MPs who had declared support for Anwar are 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). – June 19, 2024
