A MINISTER’s primary responsibility is not to be popular. It is not to be visible on social media, attend launch ceremonies, or dominate news headlines. A minister’s first duty is to exercise authority over his ministry and ensure that public institutions under his control function effectively, transparently, and accountably.
This is the standard by which Anthony Loke should be assessed following his tenure at the MOT.
While he was often praised for his public visibility and communication style, the more important question is whether he exercised sufficient control over the ministry entrusted to him.
Judged by the recurring governance controversies that emerged during his watch, that assessment is far less flattering.
The recent controversy involving Zetrix AI Berhad illustrates the point. Public reports revealed that RM314 million in government revenue collected on behalf of the Road Transport Department (JPJ)was not remitted within the required period.
Authorities reportedly issued numerous reminders and held repeated engagements before eventually acting.
For many Malaysians, the critical question is not whether enforcement action was eventually taken.
The question is why a situation involving hundreds of millions of ringgit was allowed to reach that stage in the first place.
A minister cannot claim success merely because he intervenes after a problem becomes public. Effective leadership is demonstrated by systems that detect problems early and prevent them from escalating.
The issue becomes even more troubling when viewed alongside wider concerns surrounding transport-related governance and infrastructure oversight.
The long-running debate surrounding the Penang Undersea Tunnel Project is one example of how public confidence can be undermined when transparency, accountability and project governance become subjects of prolonged public scrutiny.
Regardless of ongoing legal processes, the project has become a reminder of how large-scale public initiatives can evolve into symbols of institutional weakness when oversight mechanisms fail to inspire public confidence.
Defenders of Anthony Loke often argue that ministers cannot be held personally responsible for the actions of concessionaires, contractors, or third parties. Strictly speaking, that is correct.
However, this misunderstands the nature of ministerial accountability. Ministers are not merely managers. They are stewards of public institutions.
Their responsibility is not limited to responding to crises; it also includes ensuring that effective controls, monitoring systems, and enforcement mechanisms are already in place.
The uncomfortable reality is that MOT under Anthony Loke often appeared stronger in public relations than in institutional governance.
Problems were frequently addressed after they became public controversies rather than before they became public concerns. This raises doubts about whether the ministry was genuinely transformed or merely managed more effectively from a communications perspective.
A reforming minister should leave behind stronger institutions than the ones he inherited.
Yet the persistence of governance concerns involving revenue collections, concession management and major infrastructure oversight suggests that fundamental weaknesses remain unresolved.
Ultimately, Anthony Loke’s legacy should not be judged by how often he was seen, quoted or praised.
It should be judged by whether MOT became a ministry capable of identifying risks, enforcing accountability and preventing governance failures without relying on public outrage to trigger action.
On that measure, many questions remain unanswered. The issue is not whether Anthony Loke was an active minister.
The issue is whether he was effective. And if hundreds of millions in public revenue could slip through the cracks while major governance concerns continued to emerge under his watch, Malaysians are entitled to conclude that visibility was no substitute for control
Associate Prof Dr Mohd Azmir Mohd Nizah
(Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia)
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of theSun.
