Armizan, three MPs to remain in the GRS, not joining Gagasan Rakyat

KOTA KINABALU - Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali says he will remain Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

The Papar MP further said he will not join the Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat).

This comes after Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced that he will be leading the new Gagasan Rakyat. It reported that Hajiji will remain as GRS chairman and Gagasan Rakyat will continue their struggle as a local party in Sabah.

"We will remains as members of GRS and we will not be joining Gagasan party because the law does not allow it," he said they are bound by the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No 3) 2022 (Act A1663) which prohibits MPs from changing parties.

"We will remain as members through direct membership, same as before the election," he told reporters.

He was speaking after GRS Student Convention closing ceremony and the launch of GRS Student Wing today.

Armizan was asked to explain his latest status after he and three others exited Bersatu after GRS Chairman Hajiji quit Bersatu last November.

Others were Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Ranau) and Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang)

When asked over Bersatu's move to take the matter to court over the status of four MPs who quit late last year, challenging the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul's decision that they do not need to vacate their seats, he said: "We leave it to the court to decide, that is their right."

"Even though the Speaker of the House has made a decision because in the Federal legislation it is clear that the right and also the decision rests with the Speaker.

"If the concerned parties are still not satisfied then that is their right to take the matter to another platform," he said.