Shahelmey also brushed off Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin’s dismissal of the possibility of the Tanjung Keramat assemblyman defending his state seat on a Barisan Nasional ticket.

“I take note of Bung’s statement and would like to thank him for that. I will make a decision when the time comes.

“Only the federal BN chairman can decide on the candidates representing the coalition in the election, that’s not in my power. So the decision I will make pertains to my own political direction,” he told FMT.

Shahelmey previously played down Sabah Umno’s announcement that Putatan Umno chief Jeffrey Nor Mohamed would stand in Tanjung Keramat in the state polls.

He claimed that BN’s final candidate list would only be confirmed when official letters are issued closer to the elections.

Bung, the Sabah BN chief, maintained that Shahelmey would not be fielded to defend the Tanjung Keramat seat. He went on to describe Shahelmey as disloyal and dared him to contest the seat under a different party.

Shahelmey was suspended for six years from Umno in March 2023 after refusing to toe the party line during an attempt to unseat Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor.

He and several other Sabah Umno assemblymen continued to give Hajiji their backing, and some of them were appointed to the state Cabinet.