PARTI Warisan Sabah deputy president Darell Leiking does not rule out the possibility of meeting the Labuan Umno chief, who is expected to cross over, when he visits the Federal Territory island for a party function tomorrow.

Rozman Isli, who is also Labuan MP, is expected to submit his membership request to Leiking at the event.

“We’ll see. Since I’ll be in Labuan, I might as well meet the leaders there.”

Asked if the leaders include Rozman, Leiking only said: “Even my friends, too.”

It has been speculated that Rozman would quit Umno after Barisan Nasional lost the May 9 general election, and he has hinted several times that he would leave the party.

Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed and Kimanis lawmaker Anifah Aman quit Umno last month, and are now independents.

The Star, quoting a source close to Rozman, said he will join Warisan, and that the move – if it materalises – is for the sake of Labuan folk, and has nothing to do with opposition to Umno.

The source said Rozman wants to work with Warisan to return Labuan under state control.

Labuan was declared a Federal Territory in 1983. The handover was done during the Berjaya state government era, in return for development on the island.

Rozman was among the MPs, who included Anifah and Rembau’s Khairy Jamaluddin, who stayed put when the opposition staged a walkout at the Dewan Rakyat, in protest against the swearing-in of the speaker, in July.

The Warisan election manifesto stated that the party would leave it to Labuan folk to decide whether to have the island “returned” to Sabah.

Rozman was not available for comment. – October 10, 2018.