The Speaker said Kiandee also requested that he notify the Election Commission (EC) of the matter within 21 days.

“The vacancies will have to be filled within 60 days from the date the EC receives the notification from the Speaker.

“Under Article 49A(3), the Speaker will decide whether these seats will be vacated,” Johari told Malaysiakini.

“Ronald suggested that the four GRS MPs should vacate their seats. I told him that I had not received anything yet.

“He wrote to me officially on Dec 27. So, now I have got all his letters and I am acting on them.”

Earlier today, Kiandee said in a statement that he had sent a notice to the Speaker informing him that there were “casual vacancies” involving MPs who contested in the general election as Bersatu members.

The four MPs – Armizan Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau) and Matbali Musah (Sipitang) – had earlier said that they were leaving Bersatu to form a new party.

Bersatu is in the opposition at the federal level. However, when Parliament convened on Dec 19, the four had sat with the government bloc.

Kiandee said the act of “crossing the floor” violated their election promise to voters as well as Bersatu’s constitution.

“Therefore, according to Article 49A(3) of the Federal Constitution, the said Dewan Rakyat members must cease to become members of the House and their seats should be vacated.”

Under the anti-hopping law, which is an amendment to Article 49A of the Federal Constitution, MPs will lose their seats if they move to another party.

Exceptions will be given to MPs who are sacked by their party or if their party is dissolved or deregistered.

However, an MP will first have to submit a written notice to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker that a “casual vacancy” has occurred.