KYOTO: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul has not received any official notice from any party regarding the vacant seats involving six Bersatu members of Parliament, who had their party membership revoked recently.
Johari said he also needed time to examine all matters carefully, especially involving laws including the Anti-Party Hopping Act passed in Parliament, before making any decisions against them.
"At the moment there is no (notice sent) yet.
"What happens outside of that to me is 'noise' and as long as I don't receive in black and white what the party says, what actions are taken by the party against their members, I think that is not my jurisdiction...I should not interfere.
"Secondly, I take the attitude that they were party members but when they take their oath to uphold the Constitution and be loyal to Malaysia before me, so I have to take the responsibility to defend the freedom and rights of Parliament," he told Bernama here today.
He said this before being brought to the Kyoto State Guest House which is the official accommodation for state guests of Japan.
Johari is currently on a five-day official visit with a Malaysian Parliamentary delegation to Japan since Monday at the invitation of the Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Fukushiro Nukaga.
Also participating in the delegation were member of the Special Select Committee on International Affairs who is also Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru Sim Tze Sin; member of the Special Select Committee on Environment, Science and Plantation Vivian Wong Shir Yee (Sandakan); and member of the Special Select Committee on Nation Building, Education and Human Resource Development Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (Jempol).
Commenting further, Johari said that as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he will take responsibility for evaluating every action of the people's representatives as a Member of Parliament and not a member of any party.
"For me to take action, I must be careful, I must delve into everything, all aspects because whatever decision I make (not only) will affect the members of the party or Members of Parliament but also the country.
"I take a very cautious attitude and as long as I am not sure, I will not make the decision first.
"I am very careful not only legally but morally and everything I have to make sure that my actions are correct and I don't want to be blamed or feel guilty when I am not in that position later," he said.
Earlier, six Bersatu MPs were revoked of membership immediately after failing to respond to a written instruction from the party's supreme leadership council to pledge allegiance to the party.
The six MPs are Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanafi (Tanjong Karang).-BERNAMA