Loke Insists He Will Resign After Returning From China

The DAP secretary general says he will submit his resignation upon returning home, while Anwar wants an explanation before deciding whether to accept it.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has insisted that he will not remain in office after announcing his decision to quit the Cabinet.

According to Bernama, the DAP secretary-general said he would tender his resignation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim upon returning to Malaysia following his official visit to China.

“The decision has been made. I will submit the resignation letter to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) when I return home,” he was quoted as saying.

Several parties, including PAS questioned why Loke remained in office despite previously announcing his intention to quit.

However, Anwar said he would not rush to accept Loke’s resignation and wanted an explanation from the Seremban MP.

The Prime Minister also said DAP should not bow to pressure from other parties calling for its ministers and deputy ministers to leave the Government, warning that such a move could destabilise the Madani Government.

“Some people ask, why (just) Anthony Loke? (They say) all of DAP (ministers and deputy ministers) should leave. Whose suggestion is that? Why should he leave? He did nothing wrong. He was not the one who proposed (the pardon). In fact, he tried his best to oppose it.

“So I think DAP should not bow to pressure from those with vested interests who want the government to become unstable. They are looking for ways to weaken the government through these dirty tactics,” Anwar said in another Bernama report.

Loke announced on Sept 19 that he would resign as Transport Minister following DAP’s decision to take a stand against the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

However, other DAP ministers and deputy ministers would remain in the Unity Government.