KUALA LUMPUR (June 5): Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is today expected to announce the outcome of its supreme council meeting held last night to formalise the sacking of five party leaders including Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed as Bersatu chairman.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said, a press conference on the matter will be held later today to share the details of the three-hour meeting, which was also attended by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"We will hold a press conference in the morning tomorrow (today) to share the details of the meeting," the Larut member of parliament (MP) told reporters through the window of his car as he was leaving the PAUM Clubhouse where the meeting was held.

He did not elaborate.

Muhyiddin did not make any statement to the media.

Earlier, four Bersatu supreme council members namely, Akramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, Tariq Ismail Mustafa, Ulya Awamah Husamuddin and Abu Bakar Yahya, left the meeting midway in protest against the party over the issue.

Speaking to the media outside the PAUM Clubhouse, here, where the meeting was held, they said Bersatu supreme council's decision to strip the five party leaders off their positions was unconstitutional.

The Bersatu elected representatives in question besides Mahathir (Langkawi) are Dr Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam), Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun), Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar) and Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (Kubang Pasu).

On May 28, Bersatu’s organising secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya issued letters to the five MPs stating that their party memberships were terminated according to clauses 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 of the party’s constitution.

Muhammad Suhaimi said this was because the five sat in the opposition bloc during the May 18 parliamentary sitting and not with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition led by Muhyiddin, who is also the Prime Minister.

Clauses 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 state that membership of party members are cancelled if they leave the party or join any other political parties.

"The issue here is that Bersatu had never formally declared itself as a component party to the PN coalition. A formal meeting to discuss and decide on this matter was never held. This means that Bersatu is technically not a part of PN.

"In view of this, Mahathir and the other four Bersatu leaders have the right to refuse joining PN. Their membership should not be revoked unless Bersatu is formally part of PN. As of now, it is not," said Akramsyah.

Last Tuesday, the five Bersatu MPs in question said in a joint statement that their membership remains, insisting that the reason given for their termination is against their party constitution.

According to them, their actions on the May 18 parliamentary sitting as detailed by the letter informing them on their expulsion against Clause 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 of Bersatu’s constitution is invalid as they were denied the chance to defend and explain themselves to the part.

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