KUALA LUMPUR: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is confident that the four members of parliament who quite Bersatu will not be affected by the anti-hopping law.
In a statement today, GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said his party and the four MPs were fully aware of the anti-hopping law that came into effect on Oct 5 before they stood as candidates for the 15th General Election.
"They will inform the Speaker of Parliament, if and when necessary of their position and will issue a statement accordingly. We are confident they will not be affected by the anti-hopping law."
The four are Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Ranau MP Datuk Jonathan Yassin, Sipitang MP Datuk Matbali Musbah and Batu Sapi MP Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.
With the exodus of the four and 15 assemblymen from peninsular-based Bersatu yesterday, questions arose whether the four Sabah Bersatu MPs would risk their seats being vacated if they were found to have broken the law.
Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the quartet must vacate their seats in the Dewan Rakyat if their resignations were accepted.
Wan Junaidi said the anti-hopping law, which was drafted by a parliamentary committee he chaired, would require by-elections to be held.
National Council of Professors' Governance, Law and Public Management Cluster chief Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood however said their actions did not fall under the anti-party hopping law.
He said the 15 assemblymen were not covered by the law at all as it applies only to MPs and Sabah had yet to enact any such law for state assemblymen.
"As for the four MPs, they contested under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) banner, which has been officially registered, and not under Bersatu. Even though these MPs are from Bersatu, in this situation, it (the law) doesn't apply," he was quoted in a news report.