They also said the group aligned to Hamzah are free to join any party or form a new one as this would not contravene the anti-­hopping legislation. “As it stands, Bersatu has admitted to expelling Hamzah and 16 others from the party. Legal and constitutional expert Assoc Prof Dr Khairil Azmin Mokhtar also said that the sacked MPs are free to join any political party. He added that a parliamentary seat does not automatically become vacant if an MP is expelled from their party, if their party is dissolved, or if they join a new party as part of a bloc, such as in a coalition merger. Several lawmakers expelled from Bersatu said Hamzah is believed to be considering joining or assuming control of another Malay-based party, without lea­ving Perikatan.

Source: The Star February 16, 2026 00:45 UTC