In a press conference with Warisan leaders today, Rozman said he made the decision after considering the current economic conditions and Labuan’s unique position in Malaysia compared to other parliamentary seats.

He said he hoped it would benefit the people of Labuan, who had been hard hit by the decline of the oil and gas industry on the island.

“The people of Labuan are a closed-knit society. As a parliamentarian, they need my service to help them immediately so that their economy can grow again.

“I also want to ensure that my second term is productive and beneficial to the people of Labuan.”

He voiced confidence that the decision would be welcomed by his supporters as well as those from Warisan and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

He also said it was normal for politicians to change sides now as the country was undergoing changes in its democracy as part of its journey towards a two-party system.

He added that leaving Umno for Warisan was necessary to safeguard Labuan’s interest and to tackle the current economic challenges that had seen many losing their jobs or even leaving Labuan for better opportunities elsewhere.

“With this new platform, I am confident I will be a more effective leader, especially in handling and working together with the government’s administrative machinery, bringing in new investors to Labuan and continuing the development agenda to benefit the people,” he said.

In terms of Labuan’s position in the federation, Rozman said he was still in favour of Labuan being a federal territory but wanted more administrative power and flexible decision-making to allow the constituency to reach its full potential.

He also urged the state government to play a more proactive role to ensure Labuan will emerge as the region’s development centre.

He proposed that the Sabah state legislative assembly reserve one of the two remaining nominated assemblymen positions for Labuan, according to previous practice.

He credited Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad with bringing development to Labuan during the latter’s first stint as prime minister and voiced hoped that Mahathir would do more to help Labuan grow economically in his second stint, according to the Labuan Development Blueprint 2030 launched by the previous federal government.

Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking, who was on hand to welcome Rozman to the party, said Warisan had accepted Rozman’s application as the party was keen to work with the MP immediately.

“There are many things that we need to do for Labuan and the people. Of course, the first thing people will be asking is about the proposed Labuan bridge. I think I need to clarify that the issue will be fought for by Rozman as well as Sabah.

“This issue has dragged on for so long, but please give us time,” he said.