Rogue Bersatu MPs want seating place changed in Dewan Rakyat - speaker

The four Bersatu MPs who shifted their support to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership have applied to change their seating place in the Dewan Rakyat.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul said he had received letters on the matter from all of them today.

Speaking at a press conference in the Parliament today, Johari (above) said he will look at the set-up of the august house before making a decision.

The four are Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang).

“I will contact them during Deepavali, it will be an informal meeting. Let’s how things are, I have just received the letters,” Johari told reporters today.

“Like Muar MP Syed Saddiq (Syed Abdul Rahman), he didn’t want to sit in the government bloc and requested a more ‘comfortable’ seat.

“It’s like a ‘family’. They used to ‘sleep in the bedroom’, but now they want to move to the ‘living room’,” he said in jest.

Further, Johari said the four Bersatu MPs’ support for Anwar’s premiership will not trigger the anti-hopping law.

Elaborating on the matter, he said the anti-hopping provisions under the Federal Constitution do not apply to them as they did not jump parties.

“If the MP ‘crosses’ from party A to party B officially, and in black and white to say that he has left his party, he must vacate the seat.

“But what is happening now is that they pledged support, they didn’t ‘cross’. So, it doesn’t mean anything. Their seats will not be vacated,” he said.

READ MORE: PN MPs backing Anwar vs anti-hopping law: What now?

Previously, all four Bersatu MPs who revealed their backing for Anwar’s administration cited constituency issues as a key reason for their shift but said they would remain loyal and committed to Bersatu.

Syed Saddiq’s conviction

Meanwhile, Johari said Syed Saddiq, who was convicted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of four corruption charges today, will be able to keep his parliamentary seat for now.

“As long as he has not exhausted all his legal means, it does not affect his position (as Muar MP).

“I think he has two more courts to go,” he said.

Syed Saddiq, who is also Muda president, was found guilty earlier today of four charges involving criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and money laundering linked to RM1.12 million of Bersatu youth monies.

The former youth and sports minister was sentenced to seven years in jail, two strokes of the rotan, and slapped with an RM10 million fine.

However, judge Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the defence's application to stay the execution of all the sentences pending Syed Saddiq's appeal to the Court of Appeal.

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