KOTA KINABALU, Jan 9 — Tanjung Keramat assemblyman Datuk Shahelmey Yahya today denied claims that he and four other Umno state elected representatives who are backing Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in the ongoing political crisis will be forming a new party.

The State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister said all five of them had never issued any statements on any such possibility.

He said the claim as reported by a news portal today was merely an exaggeration.

"I strongly deny the news report. It was reported without our (five assemblymen) knowledge and it also appears to be malicious and deliberately exaggerated,” he said in a statement tonight.

Besides Shahelmy, the four other BN assemblymen who are backing Hajiji in helming the state government are Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Assistant Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin) and Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk).

On Friday, Bung Moktar announced that Umno and Sabah BN were withdrawing support for Hajiji as they had lost confidence in the latter’s position as Chief Minister and that there was a breach of an agreement between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

However, the next day, the five assemblymen were among 44 Sabah assemblymen who pledged their support for Hajiji to remain as chief minister. — Bernama