Shahelmey’s suspension from Umno handled ‘internally’, says Zahid

KOTA KINABALU: It’s not necessary to serve an official letter to inform Putatan MP Datuk Shahelmey Yahya of his six-year suspension from Umno, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is Umno president, said the suspension had been dealt with internally.

"We do it internally," he told reporters here on Sunday (July 30), after being asked whether an official letter had been sent to Shahelmey to notify him of the suspension.

Ahmad Zahid said, however, Shahelmey, who is also Deputy Chief Minister III, remained an MP for the unity government.

"At state level, he is also an assemblyman (Tanjung Keramat) representing the unity government," he said.

Shahelmey had earlier this week maintained that he was still an Umno member and would serve out his six-year suspension.

He said, however, he had yet to be officially informed of the suspension apart from a public statement by Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin on the matter.

"I have not got a letter yet but Bung said I have been suspended, so I will leave it at that," he said on Wednesday (July 26).

He and several other Sabah Barisan Nasional/Umno assemblymen continued to support Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government during the Jan 5 failed political coup by Sabah Barisan and Parti Warisan.

Subsequently, Bung Moktar told reporters that Shahelmey’s membership had been suspended by the supreme council for going against the party's stand to withdraw its support for the GRS government.

Shahelmey would have had to vacate his Putatan seat according to the Federal anti-party hopping law if he had quit Umno immediately after the failed coup.