Labuan MP files to quash expulsion from Bersatu

Suhaili Abdul Rahman has turned to the court to reverse his expulsion from Bersatu.

The Labuan MP filed the writ of summons at the Shah Alam High Court on Monday last week.

Suhaili is one of six former Bersatu lawmakers whose status as MPs were in question but was allowed to keep their parliamentary seats by Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul.

The plaintiff claimed that his expulsion was unlawful as it was allegedly merely over him voicing out support to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He added that he was denied the right to be heard and deprived of his right to procedural fairness.

"The plaintiff avers that Bersatu has turned a blind eye to his dedication to Bersatu by pouring his efforts into the last general election to ensure Bersatu’s victory in Labuan.

"Without the plaintiff’s contributions and efforts, Bersatu would not have secured the Labuan seat and would have been short of one seat in Parliament.

"By expelling the plaintiff, Bersatu has denied him his right as an MP to express his views independently without fear. At all material times, the plaintiff avers that declaring his support for the prime minister was not an act of leaving Bersatu,” read Suhaili’s statement of claim.

Mulitple reliefs

It also stated that Suhaili declared support for Anwar with the noble intention of securing funding from the federal government for the people of Labuan.

"Ultimately, the plaintiff states that following the unlawful expulsion of his membership in Bersatu, he has suffered loss, damage and humiliation," the statement read.

Through the lawsuit, he seeks multiple reliefs, including declarations that his expulsion was unlawful, illegal and void.

The lawmaker also seeks unspecified general, exemplary and punitive damages, as well as a full refund of his life membership fees paid to Bersatu.

The civil action's defendant is listed as Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya in the capacity of public officer of Bersatu.

Law firm Firoz Julian represented Suhaili.

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