TANJUNG Keramat assemblyman Shahelmey Yahya of Umno has spoken up against Sabah Barisan Nasional’s (BN) decision to leave the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition led by Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.

Shahelmey, who is also the Putatan MP, said the assemblymen should be working to bring progress to the state instead of plotting to topple the state government.

The Sabah community development and people’s wellbeing minister said political instability will be the result of changing the state government without a compelling reason or the people’s mandate.

“The Sabah administration under the GRS-BN coalition has done well by increasing the state’s revenue to RM6.5 billion last year from RM5 billion the year before.

“This is not the time to play politics but to continue with efforts to develop the economy and the state,” he said in Kota Kinabalu today.

Shahelmey was among the Umno lawmakers absent from Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin’s press conference yesterday to announce that the coalition was withdrawing its support for Hajiji.

Shahelmey said he stayed away because he did not support the move.

At the press conference, Bung Moktar said “Umno and Sabah BN” no longer supported Hajiji and had lost confidence in his leadership as he had allegedly violated an agreement reached between BN and Perikatan Nasional in forming the state government. – Bernama, January 7, 2023.