Former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and former Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will not be subjected to PKR’s RM10 million party bond after announcing their exit from the party.
Rafizi explained that this was because both leaders decided to vacate their parliamentary seats in Pandan and Setiawangsa before officially leaving Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
According to him, the bond or legal action would only apply if an elected Member of Parliament left the party and joined another political party without relinquishing the seat won under PKR’s ticket.
“PKR has a bond or lawsuit mechanism if an MP leaves the party and joins another party because previously no elected representative was willing to vacate their seat,” he said during a press conference following the announcement of his new political direction alongside Nik Nazmi on Sunday.
“Many wanted to remain MPs while switching parties. What we are doing today is returning the mandate to the people,” he added.
Previously, reports stated that both former ministers had announced their resignation from PKR and confirmed they would vacate their parliamentary seats effective Monday.
Rafizi, who also served as PKR deputy president before his departure, said the move was also intended to avoid any perception that they were attempting to bypass the Anti-Party Hopping Act.
“We respect the mandate given by the people when we won under PKR and Pakatan Harapan previously. That is why we chose to vacate the seats,” he said.
At the same time, Rafizi said it would be up to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul to decide whether by-elections should be held following the vacancies in the two parliamentary constituencies.
He noted that under the Federal Constitution, by-elections are not necessarily required once the three-year period has passed, although the Speaker still has the authority to consider the matter if the vacancies affect the government’s majority.
“Based on the current situation, that should not apply because the government still holds a majority of 150 seats even without the two of us,” he said.
The resignations by Rafizi and Nik Nazmi have triggered intense political debate, with various parties questioning both the legal and political implications of their move.
