KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has confirmed that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is no longer the member of parliament for Permatang Pauh.
In a statement here, he said a letter was received today from the Pardons Board on its March 16 decision rejecting the opposition leader’s bid for a royal pardon.
Pandikar said a notice on the vacant parliamentary seat had been sent to the Election Commission (EC), in accordance with Article 54 of the Federal Constitution.
Anwar’s disqualification as member of parliament took effect on March 16, under paragraph (c) Clause (4) of Article 48 of the Federal Constitution.
On Feb 10, the Federal Court upheld Anwar’s conviction and five-year sentence for sodomising his personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
On Feb 24, Anwar’s wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and their two children Nurul Izzah and Nurul Nuha sent a petition to the Pardons Board seeking pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah for him. -Bernama