DAP chairperson Karpal Singh today challenged four ex-PKR members of parliament to stay away from the Dewan Rakyat session beginning Mar 15.

This would lead to their disqualification as MPs and force by-elections in their constituencies.

The senior lawyer said the challenge was made in reference to Article 52(1) of the Federal Constitution which stated that a member of the Dewan Rakyat would be automatically disqualified as an MP if he or she was absent from the House without leave for one session.

Karpal Singh, who is MP for Bukit Gelugor, issued the challenge to Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (MP for Bayan Baru), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Mohsin Fadzil Samsuri (Bagan Serai), who resigned from PKR recently, and Zulkifli Nordin (Kulim-Bandar Baru), who was sacked from the party.

"I challenge them to stay away from the Dewan Rakyat session to enable their seats to fall vacant," Karpal, speaking to reporters in Penang, was quoted by Bernama as saying today.

Karpal said further that he had the right to issue the challenge as the DAP was a member of the Pakatan Rakyat of which PKR was also a member, along with PAS.

Karpal Singh said that if these MPs insisted that their election was the choice of their constituents, "I challenge them to resign so that by-elections can be held to prove that their victory was the people's choice".

"They should not brag (about their election victories) because they had won on the PKR ticket," he said.

Karpal Singh also said that he was convinced there would not be any more resignations of PKR members and that the recent departure of the elected representatives was a clean-up process.