You're not the speaker, Kiandee ticks off Labuan MP over seat status
PETALING JAYA : Bersatu chief whip Ronald Kiandee today questioned Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman's 'right' to comment on the status of his parliamentary seat after his suit to declare his expulsion from the party invalid was struck out.
Suhaili, one of the six MPs whose Bersatu memberships were terminated last June after they declared support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, insisted recently that his parliamentary seat remains in 'status quo'.
He also said he still has recourse to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court, and would only resign as the Labuan MP if he were to lose at the apex court.
However, Kiandee wondered if Suhaili was attempting to pre-empt Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul.
'Is he (Suhaili) the speaker? Whose decision is it that the status of the seat is status quo? Is Suhaili pre-empting the speaker?' he told FMT.
Last Tuesday, Kiandee submitted a letter to Johari demanding that he declare the Labuan parliamentary seat vacant after the Shah Alam High Court struck out Suhaili's lawsuit.
Suhaili has since filed an appeal.
Kiandee said Johari had confirmed receiving the notice.
'He informed me that he would review the notice and decide on the matter,' he said.
Under Article 49(A) of the Federal Constitution, also known as the anti-hopping law, MPs cease to be members of the Dewan Rakyat and their seats become vacant if they, having been elected as members of a political party, resign or cease to be members of that party.
However, the MPs get to keep their seats if they are sacked by their party.
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