KOTA KINABALU – Datuk Shahelmey Yahya will not allow the disciplinary action taken against him by his party, Umno, to hinder his duties.
The Sabah deputy chief minister cum works minister said he intends to continue working until his term ends in 2025 when the state will hold fresh elections.
“I read (the statement from Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) last night and accepted it with an open heart.
“For now, I will continue working until my time is up in 2025. I will assess my future political direction after that,” he told reporters during the state-level Hari Pahlawan celebration in Kota Kinabalu today.
Zahid had asserted that the party would handle Shahelmey’s case internally, affirming Shahelmey was still part of the unity government, of which Umno is also a component.
Shahelmey, who also serves as the Putatan MP and Sabah’s Tanjung Keramat assemblyman under Umno, was handed a six-year suspension from the party for opposing Sabah Umno.
The suspension was announced by Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin in March.
However, Shahelmey said that he had not received the official suspension letter as of today.
The suspension came after Sabah Umno withdrew its support for GRS leader Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, leading to a cabinet reshuffle that resulted in Bung Moktar being removed as deputy chief minister and leaving Hajiji’s administration shaky.
Shahelmey and five other Sabah Umno leaders were among those who opposed the move. – The Vibes, July 31, 2023
