Suspended Umno member Shahelmey Yahya has decided not to contest in the coming Sabah state election on a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah ticket in order to stay on as Putatan MP.
Shahelmey, who is suspended from Umno until 2029, would have to vacate his parliamentary seat if he were to be fielded by GRS to defend his Tanjung Keramat state seat.
GRS has instead fielded his brother, Shah Alfie Yahya, to contest in Tanjung Keramat.
Shahelmey said he would continue his responsibility of serving the people of Putatan but would also be supporting his brother’s election campaign, Sabah Media reported.
Nonetheless, he said, he would be careful about his involvement in Shah’s campaign as he is still a Barisan Nasional MP.
“Politics is dynamic. I know what I need to do and I know my limits,” he said.
Shahelmey was elected the Tanjung Keramat assemblyman in 2020 on a BN ticket, winning by a 1,124-vote majority.
He was suspended by Umno in 2023 after failing to toe the party line during an attempt to topple the government of chief minister Hajiji Noor, the GRS chairman.
After the failed attempt to unseat Hajiji, Shahelmey was made a deputy chief minister.
BN is clashing with GRS in the state election though both coalitions have reached an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan. All three entities are allies in the federal government.
