COMMENT | No by-elections in Gua Musang or Jeli, here's why

COMMENT | Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim tried to blame the Bersatu 7’s failure to retract their pledge for Pakatan Harapan-led governments on their former party’s no-reply to their queries.

This lame excuse would not overturn their loss of Bersatu membership. However, one technicality would save Azizi’s Gua Musang parliamentary seat and Nenggiri state seat, and likewise, Zahari Kechik's Jeli parliamentary seat.

The technicality is that they were elected on PAS’ ticket, not Perikatan Nasional’s.

This column attempts to explain three things.

First, why should parliamentary speaker Johari Abdul and Selangor speaker Lau Weng San should inform the Election Commission (EC) of the five vacancies within 21 days?

Second, why can Azizi and Zahari get away from Article 49A, popularly known as the Anti-Hopping Law (AHL)?

Third, why the AHL is not a failure as claimed and...