Malaysia

Sabah polls: 'RM100 million fine if contesting on GRS ticket'

Both of them were suspended from Umno for six years since early 2023 after opposing Sabah Umno's decision to withdraw support for the Chief Minister and the GRS government

Updated 10 months ago · Published on 16 Oct 2025 12:58PM

Sabah polls: 'RM100 million fine if contesting on GRS ticket'
If they leave the party with the intention of contesting for GRS, the contracts they signed with Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) will automatically apply. - October 16, 2025

TWO Umno Members of Parliament in Sabah will face legal action including a fine of RM100 million if they contest on the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ticket in the upcoming State Election (PRN).

This was confirmed by Umno Secretary-General, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who explained that the two elected representatives involved were subject to a bond agreement signed with the party before they received their candidate credentials in the last General Election (GE).

"If they leave the party with the intention of contesting for GRS, the contracts they signed with Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) will automatically apply.

"This means they have to pay back RM100 million in damages to the party. That is the value of the agreement and damages bond that was agreed upon and sealed before the Commissioner for Oaths before accepting the credentials of the parliamentary candidates in the last general election," he told Berita Harian.

It is understood that the issue involving the two Umno MPs in Sabah arose following rumours that they might contest under the GRS coalition led by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Hajiji, who is also the GRS chairman, was previously reported to have said that the coalition had no objections to accepting Datuk Shahelmey Yahya and Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy to contest in the Sabah general election.

Shahelmey, who is also the Putatan MP and Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah, holds the Tanjung Keramat state seat, while Andi Muhammad Suryady, who is also the Kalabakan MP and Sabah Interim Assistant Minister for Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship, holds the Tanjung Batu state seat.

Both of them were suspended from Umno for six years since early 2023 after opposing Sabah Umno's decision to withdraw support for the Chief Minister and the GRS government, which sparked a political crisis called the Kinabalu Move in January 2023.

However, if they contest on the GRS ticket, both of them will have to vacate their respective parliamentary seats because they were won on the Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket in the 15th General Election (GE15). – October 16, 2025

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