The Malaysian Insight

LABUAN MP Rozman Isli has claimed that the charge against him were political as he had refused to abandon Parti Warisan Sabah for the ruling coalition. 

He said the accusation made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) has been hatched “for a long time”. 

“Before today, I had been dragged to court over the same matter twice and in both times, the cases were discontinued. I hope this time the case can be continued so that I can prove that I have done nothing wrong,” the Warisan chief whip in Parliament said in a statement today. 

Earlier today, Rozman claimed trial to a charge of abusing his position as the deputy chairman of the Labuan Port Authority by awarding a government contract to his family members. 

A court interpreter read out the charge to the chief whip before judge Rozina Ayub. 

The charge sheet said Rozman was alleged to have used his position to obtain bribes in the form of workers’ contracts in connection with Dermaga Merdeka Pelabuhan Labuan. 

The contracts were said to have been awarded to a company named Syarikat Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd, which is linked to Rozman’s father and brother. 

Rozman claimed his political foes had tried to persuade him a year and a half ago to leave Warisan, and had used this case to “deliberately intimidate and pressure me”. 

“Secondly, this charge was also designed and prepared so that when I do not give in to their pressure, they would use it to drag me to court so as to tarnish my image before the next GE15 (15th general election),” he said. 

Rozman first won the Labuan seat in the 2013 general election on an Umno ticket. He retained it, also on an Umno ticket, in the last general election in 2018. 

He later defected to Warisan. – October 14, 2021.