Sabah coalition chief Hajiji Noor has hinted that state assemblyman Shahelmey Yahya, currently suspended from Umno, will contest as a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate in the coming state assembly elections.
“He will follow ‘siurang’ (us),” GRS chairman Hajiji told reporters at a parliamentary constituency event in Putatan, according to Berita Harian.
“It won’t be difficult. He is both an assemblyman and MP,” Hajiji said.
Shahelmey is MP for Putatan and assemblyman for Tanjung Keramat, a state seat within the parliamentary constituency, to which he was elected in 2020 on a Barisan Nasional ticket.
Hajiji expressed confidence in Shahelmey defending the Tanjung Keramat seat. He was also confident that GRS would win the three state seats of Tanjung Aru, Petagas and Tanjung Keramat within Putatan when the state assembly elections are held.
The current state assembly’s term expires in November, unless it is dissolved earlier to pave the way for elections.
Shahelmey was suspended for six years from Umno in March 2023 after refusing to toe the party line during an attempt to unseat Hajiji.
Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin has stated that Shahelmey would not be fielded by BN to defend the Tanjung Keramat seat. Bung described Shahelmey as disloyal, and dared him to contest under a different party.
Shahelmey was quoted today as saying he had not been called or briefed regarding plans by Umno or Barisan Nasional to contest the state elections.
“The announcements on the number of seats to be contested by Umno and BN are merely party leadership decisions.
“As of now, I have not been called for any briefing or meeting, although I am closely following political developments in Sabah ahead of the state polls,” Shahelmey told reporters, New Straits Times reported.
Last year, Bung was reported to have named Putatan Umno chief Jeffery Noh as Sabah BN‘s candidate for Tanjung Keramat.
Shahelmey faces possible disqualification as Putatan MP if he contests on a GRS ticket, which would contravene anti-party hopping laws.
In the 2020 state election, Warisan won Tanjung Aru and Petagas. However, Petagas assemblyman Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari left Warisan in February 2023 and joined Hajiji’s Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, a component party in GRS.
