KOTA KINABALU, Aug 18 — Umno renegade Datuk Shahelmey Yahya will likely defend his Tanjung Keramat state seat in the coming elections under a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ticket, raising questions as to what will happen to his Putatan parliamentary seat.
When contacted, Shahelmey, who has yet to resign from Umno, said he was amused by the statement and that it cannot be denied.
“I considered the CM's remark encouraging as I have been supporting the present GRS-PH plus government,” he told Malay Mail in a text message.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor yesterday hinted that Shahelmey, who is deputy chief minister III, will be contesting under the governing coalition in the coming state election as he remains a suspended member of Umno.
Hajiji was quoted saying that Shahelmey would “ikut siurang (join us),” and that he would surely win the seat as he held both the state seat in the Putatan parliamentary constituency.
Shahelmey will automatically cease to be a member of Umno if he contests under a different banner.
Shahelmey’s political alignment is among the many tension points of rivalry between GRS and former allies Umno in the coming election.
In January 2023, Shahelmey was among five Umno assemblymen who refused to follow a party directive from Sabah leader Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin in withdrawing support for Hajiji’s government.
The five, along with Pakatan Harapan assemblymen, saved Hajiji’s administration from toppling and Shahelmey was elevated to the deputy chief minister III post, as well as the state Works Ministry portfolio, replacing Bung Moktar.
However, he was given a six-year suspension from Umno, making him ineligible to contest this election.
Putatan division chief Jeffrey Nor Mohamed was announced as his replacement candidate in Tanjung Keramat.
Under the anti-hopping law, Shahelmey cannot resign from Umno without automatically losing both his state Tanjung Keramat and parliamentary Putatan seat.
