Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will discuss Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s resignation after receiving Loke’s resignation letter on Sept. 28.
Loke submitted the letter following the Democratic Action Party’s decision to oppose the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak. Anwar confirmed on Sept. 29 that he had received the resignation and said he would discuss the matter with Loke.
Loke said Anwar had asked him to continue serving as transport minister for the time being. He added that they agreed there should be a timeframe, with his resignation to take effect when Najib leaves prison to begin serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
No replacement has been appointed, and Loke said he would continue carrying out his responsibilities until the resignation takes effect. The DAP secretary-general also said the party would remain part of Malaysia’s federal unity government, with its other ministers continuing in the Cabinet.
Najib was granted a conditional pardon earlier in September that allows him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug. 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine. He has been serving a sentence stemming from his conviction in the SRC International case.
Loke’s decision followed an emergency meeting of the DAP’s Central Executive Committee after the pardon was announced. The party said its position on the matter was behind his decision to leave the Cabinet, while other DAP ministers chose to remain in government.
Anwar’s latest comments leave Loke in his post for the time being while the prime minister considers the resignation and the timing of any Cabinet change.
