SANDAKAN – Umno has suspended Putatan MP Datuk Shahelmey Yahya’s membership for six years for not supporting Sabah Umno’s decision to withdraw support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
“Well, he (Shahelmey) has been suspended for six years,” Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said briefly.
Shahelmey, who is also Tg Keramat assemblyman, went against Bung Moktar’s decision for Sabah Umno to withdraw support for the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Shahelmey was then state community development and people’s well-being minister under the GRS-BN state government (2020-January 2023).
Following Umno’s announcement to withdraw support for GRS in January, Hajiji reshuffled the state cabinet on January 11, leaving only two Umno members holding full ministerial positions – Shahelmey and Sugut assemblyman Datuk James Ratib.
In the new cabinet, Shahelmey replaced Bung Moktar as deputy chief minister and state works minister, while Ratib replaced Shahelmey as the community development and people’s well-being minister.
Apart from Shahelmey and Ratib, two other Umno representatives who went against Sabah Umno – Datuk Jasnih Jaya (Pantai Dalit) and Arsad Bistari (Tampasuk) – have defected to Gagasan Rakyat Sabah led by Hajiji.
Shahelmey however, could not quit Umno as he is subject to federal anti-hopping laws, seeing that he is an MP.
Last month, he told the press that he left his fate to the Umno disciplinary board. – The Vibes, March 18, 2023
