Four GRS MPs who quit Bersatu will not lose seats - Lawyer

KOTA KINABALU: Constitutional and public lawyer Datuk Tengku Fuad Tengku Ahmad today opined that four Members of Parliament (MP) from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) will not lose their seats as a result of leaving party Bersatu.

The Sabah based lawyer said this was because in the 15th General Election, the MPs contested under GRS, and did not contest as Bersatu or Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates.

"Therefore, there is no breach of Article 49A of the Federal Constitution since the four MPs were elected under GRS," he said in a statement here today.

Yesterday, GRS Chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor who is also former Sabah Bersatu Chief said leaders of Sabah Bersatu led by him had unanimously decided to leave the party but would remain under GRS.

Article 49A addresses that a member of a political party who was elected to Parliament shall cease to be a member of the House of Representatives and that member's seat shall become vacant immediately if such a member resigns his or her party membership or ceases to be a member.

The four GRS MPs are Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Tourism Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Ranau), and Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang).

GRS, which previously comprised of Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) partnered Barisan Nasional (BN) to govern Sabah.

Meanwhile, Tengku Fuad said the decision of 15 state assemblyman to leave Bersatu yesterday will not effect Hajiji's position as Chief Minister and the current Sabah government under GRS and BN.

He said this was because GRS-BN coalition remains in tact with 46 assemblyman, seven Pakatan Harapan assemblyman support Hajiji as Chief Minister, and three Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat assemblyman are also supporting GRS.

"Hajiji has the support of 57 assemblymen, clearly a majority in the 79 member state assembly, and thus continues to enjoy the confidence of the assembly in accordance with Article 6(3) of the Sabah Constitution," he added.

-- BERNAMA