KOTA KINABALU: Suspended Umno MPs, Putatan's Datuk Shahelmey Yahya and Kalabakan's Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, are free to contest with any party they choose, but they must pay the RM100mil bond, says Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin.
“They can contest with whomever they want, but must pay the RM100mil bond they signed with the party,” he said, referring to the bonds signed by all Umno candidates promising they would not jump from the party after winning the seat.
Bung was commenting on the speculation that Shahelmey, the Deputy Chief Minister III, plans to contest his Tanjung Keramat state seat, and Andi wants to defend his Tanjung Batu state seat on the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ticket.
The duo were suspended for five years for going against the party’s decision to withdraw its support for the GRS coalition government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in January 2023.
Umno insisted that the duo would not be fielded as candidates to defend their seats.
Recently, Hajiji hinted that the duo might be fielded under the GRS ticket when the time comes.
A question was raised with the Election Commission chairman, Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, about whether there would be a need for a parliamentary by-election for the two seats that would automatically fall vacant under the anti-hopping law if the duo filed nomination papers under GRS.
He said that the Parliament Speaker would decide any vacancy in a seat.
He said if the Parliamentary Speaker informs of a vacancy, then a by-election could be held, if needed.
“If the Parliamentary Speaker decides that the seat is vacant, then the EC would decide on a by-election date,” Ramlan said when asked by reporters on Thursday (Oct 16).
The current five-year term of the Madani government is expected to mark its third year on Nov 23. Under Malaysian election laws, a by-election was not necessary if the Parliament term was less than two years. The seats would be left vacant until the next general election.
