KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Umno reaffirmed that Datuk Shahelmey Yahya is still an Umno member and the six-year suspension against him still stands, said a Sabah Umno leader.
State Umno elections director Jeffrey Nor Mohamed said this to clear the confusion arising from the party’s president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s recent statements in regards to Umno taking action against Shahelmey internally.
“I wish to stress here that Shahelmey is still an Umno member. For Shahelmey to support any leaders it is his right to do so but the constitutional and anti-hopping law processes must be upheld,” said Jeffery.
Jeffrey, who is Putatan Umno chief, said he took responsibility for the party memberships in the Putatan division and confirmed that Shahelmey is still listed as a member, but with an ongoing six-year suspension.
Some news outlets reported that Shahelmey has been dropped from Umno when Zahid, during his visit to Sabah over the weekend, said the party is dealing with his insubordination internally.
Zahid has said that Shahelmey’s refusal to toe the party line during the political crisis in Sabah last January could have cost him his membership in Umno.
“Although his membership should have been automatically dropped, in the spirit of the unity government, we have decided to take action internally,” said Zahid as he referred to Shahelmey’s refusal to heed the party decision to withdraw their support to Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor last January 20.
Jeffrey believed Shahelmey may have been confused over these reports or could have used the Umno president’ statements to switch political allegiance.
However, he warned he may have to vacate the Putatan parliamentary and Tg Keramat state seats if he switched parties if he thinks he is not an Umno member.
“I wish to stress here Shahelmey is not an independent elected representative,” he said. – The Vibes, August 3, 2023
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