KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who went against Umno’s decision to withdraw support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), has been suspended by the party supreme council for six years, says state Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
The decision to suspend Shahelmey was made by the supreme council, Bung told reporters after chairing the Sabah Umno meeting here Sunday (April 9).
"I don't know, he may have missed the train," Bung said when Shahelmey, who is Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, had said that he had yet to receive any official letter of suspension by the party.
Bung insisted that Shahelmey, the Tanjung Keramat assemblyman and Putatan MP, was suspended while three other Sabah Umno assemblymen - Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk) and Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit) - were sacked.
"Three of them, James, Mohd Arsad and Jasnih were sacked. Shahelmey was suspended," Bung said.
However, the three assemblymen had quit Umno prior to the official sacking and joined Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on Feb 21, this year.
The Umno assemblymen had gone against the Jan 6 Sabah Umno decision to withdraw Sabah Barisan support for Hajiji's GRS government.
The defections from Sabah Umno and support of Sabah Pakatan Harapan allowed Hajiji to retain the government.
He has since strengthened his position through defections of assemblymen and now holds more than two-thirds support in the state assembly.
On the position of Umno's Tanjong Batu assemblyman, Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy who remains with the GRS government as assistant minister, Bung Moktar said no action would be taken against him. Andi is also MP for Kalabakan.
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