Anthony Loke has stepped down as transport minister effective immediately, following the High Court’s order allowing former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest from today (Nov 10).
According to FMT, the DAP secretary-general confirmed his departure in a statement and thanked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for entrusting him with leading the transport ministry since December 2022.
Had submitted his resignation in September
Loke’s departure follows a decision he had announced earlier, with his resignation tied to Najib’s return home.
On Sept 29, Loke confirmed that he had handed his resignation letter to Anwar the previous day. However, the prime minister asked him to continue carrying out his duties temporarily.
Loke maintained that his resignation would take effect once Najib was released from prison to begin serving his sentence under house arrest.
Nov 6 prison departure was for a dental appointment
The issue resurfaced on Nov 6 after Najib’s RM50 million fine was settled and reports emerged that he had left Kajang Prison.
At the time, Loke clarified that Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had informed him that Najib had been taken for a scheduled dental appointment and had yet to be allowed home.
He reiterated that his resignation would take effect once Najib entered his residence to begin house arrest.
Other DAP ministers to remain in government
Loke had previously explained that his decision reflected DAP’s disagreement with Najib’s house arrest.
However, the party’s decision involved only his Cabinet position. Other DAP ministers would remain in government to maintain political stability.
