Shahelmey’s Umno membership suspended for six years

KOTA KINABALU: Putatan MP Datuk Shahelmey Yahya’s Umno membership has been suspended for six years, claims Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

The Sabah Umno chief said this suspension comes after Shahelmey’s refusal to support the state Umno’s decision to withdraw support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in January this year.

An online portal quoted him as saying this to reporters at an event in Sandakan on Saturday (March 18).

Sabah Umno secretary Datuk Jafry Ariffin, when contacted, said as far as he knew, the decision was not yet official and that it was only a recommendation from the Umno disciplinary committee.

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"It has not been endorsed by the supreme council. This is what I am told as of now," he said.

Both Bung and Shahelmey were not reachable as yet.

On March 2, Shahelmey said that he was leaving it to the Umno supreme council to decide on his position in Umno.

Shahelmey had answered to the Umno disciplinary committee after a show cause letter was issued to him, asking him to explain his reasons for supporting Hajiji in the January crisis.

Three other Umno assemblymen - Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit) and Datuk Hamid Awang (Balung) - were also issued letters by the headquarters but they have left to join Hajiji in Gagasan Rakyat.

Shahelmey, who was also Tanjung Keramat assemblymen, could not quit Umno as he was bound by the anti-hop law at the federal level as a Member of Parliament.