PETALING JAYA: Former Bersatu MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan has called on the party leadership to uphold transparency and fairness by appointing independent, qualified members to its Appeals Board, not political loyalists or “yes-men” .
The Tasek Gelugor MP said the board is currently unable to function properly as only its chairman, Datuk Zulkifli Nordin, has been appointed.
“At the moment, only the chairman of the Appeals Board has been named. Under the party constitution, the board must have five members and at least three must be present for any meeting to make binding decisions,” he told theSun.
He urged the Bersatu Supreme Leadership Council to convene and appoint the remaining members to meet the quorum and ensure the board could operate effectively.
“The president (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) must ensure those appointed are qualified and not merely yes-men. If the party is serious about justice and fairness, it must show this through the composition of its disciplinary and appeals bodies.”
He added that he has yet to file his appeal against his dismissal as the Bersatu headquarters remained closed for the Deepavali break.
Wan Saiful, who was also a member of the council and Bersatu’s Bangi division chief, was sacked with immediate effect on Oct 13 along with four other division leaders: Mohd Azrudin Md Idris (Hang Tuah Jaya), Mohd Faizal Asmar (Pengerang), Mohd Fadhli Ismail (Ipoh Timur) and Mohd Isa Mohd Saidi (Ampang).
Their expulsion followed a disciplinary probe into their alleged involvement in a controversial statutory declaration reportedly aimed at pressuring Muhyiddin to step down and make way for new leadership.
The issue has fuelled internal dissent in Bersatu, with claims it was part of a wider push for leadership change, an allegation Wan Saiful has denied.
Separately, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal was suspended for one term over a separate disciplinary matter related to last year’s internal party elections.
“At the moment, only Zulkifli is in the Appeals Board, making it a one-man body. That is not enough for a full composition to convene. The board must be more transparent and independent than the Disciplinary Board to ensure justice,” Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said.
He had earlier questioned the impartiality of the Disciplinary Board, chaired by
Datuk Mohammed Radzi Abdul Manan, father-in-law to Bersatu Deputy President Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and father to Supreme Leadership Council member Datuk Nolee Ashilin.
