KOTA KINABALU: Tanjung Keramat assemblyman Datuk Ir. Shahelmey Yahya has dismissed Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar’s assertion that he will not be contesting under the Barisan Nasional banner.
“That decision lies with the central leadership, so I will leave it up to them," he said.
"My statement last week was not about insisting on contesting but merely to emphasize that the election machinery is ready for the polls," he added.
The Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III said the time will come when his election ticket is revealed. Bung had earlier announced Putatan Umno chief Jeffrey Nor Mohamed as the Tanjung Keramat candidate.
Meanwhile, Shahelmey met former Umno member Khairy Jamaluddin during a sales event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Thursday.
He said it was just a casual catch-up with friends from his youth wing days, as Khairy attended the event as an ambassador for a local clothing brand.
The former Health Minister, Khairy, was sacked from Umno in January 2023 for breaching party discipline.
Putatan MP Shahelmey was suspended for six years from Umno in March 2023, two months after backing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor during an ouster attempt in January. He was later appointed State Works Minister, succeeding Bung.
Shahelmey and Tanjung Batu assemblyman and Kalabakan MP, Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryandy Bandy, must vacate their MP seats should they contest under a different party, according to the anti-hopping law.
Andi was also suspended for six years for backing the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition. He is the state Assistant Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister.
Shahelmey and Andi are among five Sabah Umno 'rebels' who sided with Hajiji. The state legislative assembly, governed by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah - Pakatan Harapan, dissolves this Oct 9.
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