KOTA BARU: Kelantan Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has challenged the two members of parliament (MPs) who expressed their support to the unity government, to vacate their seats.
Its chief Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor said by vacating their seats, it would allow Bersatu to go about their work.
He said having the two MPs vacating their seats on their own free will was better than them being forced to do so under an amendment to the party constitution, which was still awaiting approval from the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
"It is good if they vacate the seats because it will allow the party to continue with their work.
"I believe both MPs will not do so. However, the seats will be vacated once the party's constitution is amended after it is approved by the Registry of Societies (ROS)," he said.
Bersatu MP for Gua Musang Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, and Jeli MP Zahari Kechik are among a list of six MPs from the same party who threw their support behind Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership.
Bersatu has sent letters to these six lawmakers who switched sides for official confirmation over their stance in supporting the unity government.
This followed the party's move to amend its constitution to strip the membership of its lawmakers who switch allegiance.
During a special party general assembly on Saturday, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the amendment of Clause 10 of Bersatu's constitution, which was in line with the anti-hopping provision under Article 49A of the Federal Constitution, will automatically trigger a by-election.
Kamaruddin hoped the RoS would not delay in approving the party's amendment when all the documents involved are submitted to them.
"According to the anti-party hopping act, any representative who is no longer a member of the party he represented as a representative will vacate the seat and a by-election will be held to fill the vacancy," he added.
The recent developments have shown the increasing anymosity between the six Bersatu MPs and the party leadership.
Four of these Bersatu MPs who pledged their support towards Anwar, had also recently questioned the legitimacy of the party's constitutional amendment to prevent members from switching sides.