In a move that caught many Malaysians off guard yesterday evening, Anthony Loke announced that he will resign as Transport Minister.
The DAP secretary-general made the announcement at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (19 Sept), following a Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting that lasted nearly three hours.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what went down.
Why is he resigning?
The resignation is DAP’s official response to the decision allowing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the rest of his prison sentence under house arrest.
On 18 September, the Federal Territories Pardons Board announced that Najib, 73, had been granted a conditional pardon.
Under the decision, made at the 64th Pardons Board meeting chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, Najib will serve his remaining sentence at home until 23 August 2028, on the condition that he pays a RM50 million fine.
Loke said DAP respects the Agong’s power to grant pardons, but described the decision as extremely difficult for the party and many Malaysians to accept.
He also pointed out that there has never been a precedent in Malaysia of someone convicted in a criminal or corruption case being placed under house arrest.
Are other DAP ministers leaving too?
Nope. The resignation involves Loke alone.
According to Loke, the other DAP ministers and deputy ministers had all expressed their willingness to give up their posts.
However, the CEC decided they should stay on to preserve political stability and ensure the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not lose its majority.
Loke added that DAP is aware some parties are hoping the party would pull out of the government to serve their own political goals.
We will not provide them with that opportunity,” he said.
Is he still DAP secretary-general?
Yes. Despite some reports online suggesting otherwise, the resignation only covers his position in the Cabinet. He remains DAP’s secretary-general.
Is it official yet?
Not quite. Loke said he would submit his resignation letter to Anwar soon, with reports indicating it will be handed over on Monday (21 September). Until then, it technically remains an offer to resign.
What happens to the Transport Ministry?
Loke assured the public that the ministry’s plans and projects will carry on as usual.
Ministers come and go; the ministry will function as usual,” he told reporters.
During his time in office, Loke oversaw several major projects. The Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link entered its testing phase last month, and he had pledged that the ECRL would be ready by Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year.
More recently, he floated a compensation mechanism for road accident victims and a trade-in subsidy scheme for old motorcycles, both of which will now be in the hands of whoever takes over the portfolio.
As of now, no replacement has been named.
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