KANGAR, Jan 2 — Three Perlis PAS state assemblymen have filed an originating summons challenging the decision to declare their seats vacant after their party memberships were terminated.
The assemblymen — Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Saad Seman (Chuping) — said the declaration was made outside the scope of the Speaker’s lawful authority, according to a report in Berita Harian.
“In this matter, we respect the Speaker’s views but are of the opinion that the decision to declare the seats vacant was ‘erroneous and beyond due process’,” they reportedly said.
The legal challenge follows the termination of their PAS memberships on December 24, after which Perlis State Legislative Assembly Speaker Rus’sele Eizan announced the following day that their seats had fallen vacant.
The assemblymen reportedly said the legal action was taken to safeguard voters’ interests, warning that the absence of elected representatives for almost two years before the next state election would affect the constituencies concerned.
The suit reportedly names the Speaker as the first defendant and the Perlis State Legislative Assembly as the second defendant, and was filed through lawyer Mohd Jamil Yaacob of Messrs Srihana Mohamad & Partners.
Meanwhile, Rus’sele reportedly said the assemblymen were entitled to file the lawsuit and that he was merely carrying out his duties as Speaker.
“That is their right, and even if they win there is no issue because I am only carrying out my duties as Speaker,” he was quoted as saying.
He reportedly said that his office has yet to receive any notice or writ of summons in relation to the matter.
The seats of the three assemblymen were declared vacant after PAS terminated their party memberships on December 24 for allegedly withdrawing support for then Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.
The move came amid a wider political crisis in the state that culminated with Mohd Shukri’s resignation and the appointment of a new menteri besar, Abu Bakar Hamzah.
