Azizi said they had been asked by Johari on Monday to respond to his queries on the issue.

“We were notified by the Speaker to provide a written response, and we will do so and submit it this week,” Harian Metro quoted him as saying.

He said the six needed to address the allegations by the party, the effects of the party’s constitutional amendments and whether they were involved in the issues as stated in the party’s letter.

On Tuesday, Johari confirmed that he had received Bersatu chief whip Ronald Kiandee’s notice last Friday that the six MPs had ceased to be members. Calling for patience, he said he had “up to 21 days” to decide.

Kiandee had contended that Johari had no choice but to declare the six seats vacant and inform the Election Commission on the need for by-elections, as a precedent had been set by the Kelantan assembly speaker last week with Azizi’s Nenggiri state seat.

The six MPs involved are Azizi (Gua Musang), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

The dispute over their party status began after they declared support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year.