Suspended Umno duo want to try GRS seats

TWO suspended Umno assemblymen, Ir Shahelmey Yahya and Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, are hoping to contest under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) banner in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election.

Sabah Caretaker Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, who is also GRS chairman and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah president, said both leaders had expressed their desire to contest under GRS but that their status would be determined when the time comes.

“Their wish now is to represent or contest under the GRS ticket.

“I have no objections to that because they are both leaders. One is a minister while the other is an assistant minister,” he told reporters after officiating the Tamu Suara 360: Aspirasi Anak Muda programme at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Saturday (Oct 11).

Shahelmey is the caretaker Deputy Chief Minister III and State Works Minister, as well as the Putatan MP and Tanjung Keramat assemblyman. Andi is the caretaker Assistant Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister, Kalabakan MP and Tanjung Batu assemblyman.

Both were among several Umno assemblymen who withdrew support from the party in 2023 to back GRS during the alleged Langkah Kinabalu move to unseat Hajiji as Chief Minister. The others were Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Mohd Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk), James Ratib (Sugut) and Hamid Awang (Balung).

Shahelmey and Andi were reportedly suspended from Umno since the failed coup, with Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin stressing that the party will not re-elect them in the state elections.

The two also risk losing their MP status if they contest under the GRS banner, as this could trigger provisions of the federal anti-hopping law, since they won their parliamentary seats on the Barisan Nasional ticket.

This means that if both decide to contest in the state election under GRS, by-elections could be called simultaneously for the Putatan and Kalabakan parliamentary seats.

Separately, Andi was facing a corruption charge in the Special Corruption Court for allegedly receiving RM150,000 from a businessman in May 2023 to help secure a mineral prospecting licence. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case is ongoing with the next mention set for Oct 21, 2025.

Meanwhile, Hajiji said GRS has not decided on its candidates to be fielded in the state elections, noting that nomination day was still a long way off.

Regarding seat allocations, he said they had recently met with Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan) secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to discuss the distribution of seats for GRS and PH, and they hope to finalise the distribution.

Commenting on Pakatan’s supposed demand for 20 seats or more in its electoral pact, Hajiji said it was normal for any party in a coalition to demand more seats.

However, the incumbent Sulaman assemblyman emphasised practicality, stating that GRS was targeting areas with high chances of winning to secure victory.

When asked whether being practical means that Pakatan would be allocated fewer seats than they are requesting, Hajiji said he would respond to the question at a later time.

 

Dua Adun digantung mahu kerusi GRS

DUA Adun Sabah yang digantung Umno kerana menyokong Hajiji Noor sewaktu cubaan menggulingkan kerajaannya pada 2023 dilaporkan berhasrat bertanding atas tiket Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) pada PRN akan datang.

Hajiji yang juga pengerusi GRS berkata, Shahelmey Yahya dan Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy telah menyuarakan hasrat untuk mewakili gabungan itu atau bertanding menggunakan tiketnya.

“Saya tiada halangan kerana kedua-duanya pemimpin, seorang menteri dan seorang lagi pembantu menteri,” katanya, lapor The Borneo Post.

Beliau berkata, pengumuman rasmi mengenai kedudukan mereka akan dibuat pada waktu yang sesuai.

Shahelmey, yang juga Ahli Parlimen Putatan, menang kerusi DUN Tanjung Keramat pada 2020 atas tiket Barisan Nasional (BN).

Beliau kini menyandang jawatan timbalan ketua menteri III dan menteri kerja raya dalam Jemaah Menteri negeri sementara.

Andi pula memenangi kerusi DUN Tanjung Batu dan kini menyandang jawatan pembantu menteri pembangunan perindustrian dan keusahawanan dalam Jemaah Menteri negeri sementara.

Shahelmey dan Andi adalah antara tujuh Adun Umno yang menyokong Hajiji ketika cubaan menyingkirkannya sebagai ketua menteri pada 2023, selepas beliau hilang sokongan majoriti.

Keahlian mereka kemudiannya digantung oleh parti itu.

Bulan lepas, Hajiji memberi isyarat bahawa Shahelmey akan bertanding sebagai calon GRS dan yakin beliau mampu mempertahankan kerusinya pada PRN, yang dijangka berlangsung dalam beberapa minggu lagi.

Hajiji berkata, GRS belum memuktamadkan senarai calonnya untuk PRN akan datang, sambil menyatakan ‘hari penamaan calon masih lambat lagi’.

DUN Sabah dibubarkan pada 6 Okt dan pilihan raya mesti diadakan dalam tempoh 60 hari, dengan tarikhnya akan ditetapkan oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya.

Hajiji berkata, rundingan dengan Pakatan Harapan (PH) mengenai agihan kerusi masih berjalan, susulan pertemuan dengan Setiausaha Agung PH Saifuddin Nasution Ismail baru-baru ini.

Mengulas laporan PH menuntut lebih 20 kerusi, Hajiji menyifatkan ia perkara biasa dalam mana-mana gabungan, namun menurutnya, PH dan GRS haruslah bersikap praktikal.

“GRS minta kawasan yang kita berpeluang cerah untuk menang, untuk jamin kemenangan,” katanya.

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