According to BERNAMA, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke reiterated that he remains firm in his decision to resign as Transport Minister over the conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Seremban MP stated that he will officially hand in his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the moment he returns home to Malaysia. He is currently accompanying the Prime Minister on a three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of the Chinese government.
“The decision has been made. I will submit the resignation letter to the Prime Minister when I return home,” Loke said briefly after arriving in China, as reported by BERNAMA.
Unity government ministers to remain
Loke first offered to resign following a DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting on Saturday, responding directly to the Pardons Board’s decision regarding Najib. However, he clarified that his resignation applies strictly to his Cabinet position as Transport Minister, while other DAP ministers and deputy ministers will continue serving in the Unity Government.
Meanwhile, according to Harian Metro, Anwar, who was traveling from Shanghai to Hangzhou by high-speed train, indicated that he would not rush into a decision regarding Loke’s resignation offer, adding that he wanted to hear Loke’s explanation first.
Addressing external political pressure, Anwar urged DAP not to bow to calls from opportunistic parties attempting to destabilise the government by demanding the party withdraw entirely. Defending Loke’s integrity, the Prime Minister noted:
“Some people are asking, why Anthony Loke? Why doesn’t the whole of DAP leave? Who is making that suggestion? Why should he leave? He has done nothing wrong. He did not propose the pardon decision, in fact, he did his best to oppose it.”
Navigating political stability & dismissing secret deals
Anwar explained that he will hold further discussions with Loke soon, emphasising that he is not acting against the Madani Government, but rather feels constrained given Pakatan Harapan’s long-standing stance. Highlighting his discussions and addressing political criticisms, Anwar stated:
“I am giving him space and do not want to rush the matter because I respect his decision. He is not opposing me or the Madani Government, nor is he against cooperation within the Unity Government. He feels that it is difficult to defend the Pardons Board’s decision when his party, and Pakatan Harapan (PH) from the beginning, have taken such a firm stance on this matter.”
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