He claimed that rules set out by the Election Commission (EC) made Shahelmey ineligible to defend his state seat as he was suspended by Umno for six years in March last year, Berita Harian reported.

“Maybe there will be a by-election (for Putatan) and an election for a state seat,” Bung Moktar was quoted as saying.

He was commenting on Shahelmey’s position in the upcoming state election, should the latter wish to defend his Tanjung Keramat seat.

Shahelmey contested under the Barisan Nasional banner in the last Sabah polls in September 2020.

Bung said with Shahelmey being suspended by the party, he was confident Umno would be able to defend the Tanjung Keramat state seat and Putatan parliamentary seat with another candidate.

“We have many candidates (to choose from) should there be a by-election for Putatan,” he added.

Shahelmey was suspended by Umno on March 18, 2023 for refusing to toe the party line during an attempt to oust Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor early last year. The political manoeuvre led by Bung fizzled out after Hajiji proved he enjoyed the support of the majority of Sabah’s 73 assemblymen.

Besides Shahelmey, four other Umno assemblymen, James Ratib (Sugut), Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk) and Hamild Awang (Balung) also pledged their support for Hajiji.

However, while Shahelmey did not quit Umno in order not to breach the federal anti-hopping law as an MP, the other four assemblymen resigned from Umno to join Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, led by Hajiji, as the Sabah legislative assembly had not enacted the anti-hopping law at the time.

Hajiji was previously reported to have said that the next Sabah state elections would be held no later than September 2025.