Sanusi revealed that Bersatu previously wrote in to request that Suka Menanti assemblyman Dzowahir Ab Ghani and Sungai Tiang assemblyman Abdul Razak Khamis be dropped from their state government posts.

Razak is deputy speaker of the state legislative assembly, while Dzowahir is the agriculture, plantations and transport committee chairman.

Sanusi said he also discussed the request with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary-general Azmin Ali during an Aidilfitri open house last month.

However, he said no action was taken at the time since there was no reason to do so and the pair were still Bersatu members, Berita Harian reported.

Now that both have been sacked by Bersatu, Sanusi said the state executive council will discuss the matter in detail first.

“We need to discuss the matter in detail, present it to the sultan, and then go through the set procedures. For now, they are still carrying out their duties as usual,” he said.

Sanusi added that the pair are now deemed independent assemblymen who support his administration.

Dzowahir and Razak were among three leaders sacked from Bersatu yesterday for contravening the party constitution and its code of conduct and ethics.

It is understood that the leaders sanctioned by the party are aligned with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, who was sacked in February at the height of a leadership tussle with party president Muhyiddin Yassin.