Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya said he has yet to receive an official letter from Umno headquarters that he has been suspended from the party.
“I have checked with Umno headquarters and found no such suspension. I also never received any suspension letter from the party,” he said, refuting claims by Sabah Umno head Datuk Bung Moktar Radin of his supposed suspension.
Likewise, he said, Bung has no authority to decide who should contest under the Barisan Nasional banner in the imminent Sabah election.
“Bung does not have the final say on who should be BN’s candidates for the election,” said the Sabah Umno Tanjung Keramat Assemblyman. “That would be decided by BN Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi because Barisan’s election writ for candidacy has to be signed by the coalition’s chairman.”
Shahelmey said although Bung has named the party’s state election director Jeffrey Noh Mohmed as the candidate for Tanjung Keramat in the coming election, it is merely Bung’s wish.
“It is just an announcement by Bung...the decision is by the Barisan Chairman,” he said at a Ramadan Iftar event, Sunday.
Bung earlier said Shahelmey had been suspended by the Umno supreme council for going against the party’s decision to withdraw its support from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in January 2023, following his failed attempt to topple Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said if he could not contest on a Barisan ticket and used another party ticket, he would have to give up his Putatan parliament seat under the anti-hopping law.
“These are assumptions or questions people have about my status. As of now, I am both the assemblyman for Tanjung Keramat and the MP for Putatan. “As for whether I will contest again and under which party’s ticket, I’ll announce that later,” he said.
Shahelmy said his campaign machinery was gearing up for the state election as the term of the 16th Sabah Legislative Assembly ends in October.