TWO Bersatu parliamentarians who recently declared their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government said they are prepared to vacate their seats if the party amends its constitution to bar the switching of support without approval.
The two MPs are Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Syed Abdul Fasal and Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim.
FMT quoted Syed Hussin as saying that he was ready to accept the outcome of the party’s special general assembly this Saturday (March 2), adding that he would let the people decide his fate.
“We decided to support Anwar after being in the opposition bloc for a year, but nothing has benefited our constituents,” he was reported as saying during a press conference in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 29).
“Instead of withdrawing our support for Anwar and returning to the party (Bersatu) that cannot do anything, we would rather leave it to the people to decide.”
Similarly, Azizi, too, said he was prepared to “relinquish his mandate” to the people should amendments to the party’s constitution compel him to do so.
“My statement on backing the prime minister is sincere, and I am prepared to face any eventuality, including vacating my seat,” the news portal quoted him as saying.
Recall that on Jan 29, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the party agreed to amend Article 10 of the party’s constitution on the expulsion of members.
This is following the move by six Bersatu MPs to pledge their support for Anwar’s leadership while remaining loyal to the party in order to circumvent the anti-hopping law.
Hamzah said the council had also agreed to pursue legal action against elected representatives who betray the party, with the aim of vacating their seats, and that the party was ready to face by-elections.
Apart from Syed Hussin and Azizi, the other four MPs who declared their support for Anwar are Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi and Labuan MP Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman.
Meanwhile, Syed Hussin was also quick to deny that he and other Bersatu MPs who had declared their support for Anwar had done so in return for inducements, such as offers of leadership positions in the food cluster task force under the National Action Council for Cost of Living (NACCOL).
“The position is unpaid. I want to emphasise that we support PMX (Anwar) without any persuasion or rewards, as alluded to during yesterday’s session,” he said, referring to remarks by Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Feb 28).
There was pandemonium in the lower House after Wan Saiful claimed that he was pressured and threatened to support Anwar, saying he was offered RM1.7 mil in allocations, among others, in exchange for his support. – Feb 29, 2024
