SHAH ALAM, Nov 6 - Transport Minister Anthony Loke has confirmed that his resignation will take effect once Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at his residence to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
He remains firm in the decision to resign from his ministerial post following the Pardons Board’s ruling allowing the former prime minister to serve under house arrest.
“Regardless, my stance remains unchanged. My position is clear, and I have already informed the secretary-general and ministry officials that my resignation will take effect as soon as Najib arrives at his home.
“If he reaches his home tonight, then it takes effect tonight. If it is tomorrow, then it is tomorrow," Loke said during a special media conference after attending the ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today.
While the RM50 million payment was settled at the High Court this morning, he said he was informed that Najib has not yet been allowed to return home, as he was taken to a dental clinic for a scheduled examination.
On September 28, Loke submitted his resignation letter as the Transport Minister to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, following the ruling. However, Anwar had requested Loke to continue carrying out his duties until the RM50 million payment issue was resolved and Najib was permitted to return home.
Loke, who is also Seremban MP, said he would send a supplementary letter to the Prime Minister to specify the effective date of his resignation, since the initial letter had already been submitted.
The DAP secretary-general added that this decision reflects the party’s stance regarding the potential granting of house arrest to Najib, a move described as one that could send an inappropriate message to future generations, especially in light of a scandal that significantly impacted the nation’s economy and reputation.
He emphasised that DAP continues to respect the authority and prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong concerning pardons, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
"This resignation reflects my party, DAP's, position on the decision to allow Datuk Seri Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest,” Loke said.
Following the move, he assured that all ministry plans would continue as scheduled, even after he vacated his position.
The implementation of the MyCommuter50 scheme by December, the commencement of operations for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) on December 12, and the launch of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) service, which is slated to follow in February, will continue.
Loke also thanked Anwar for the trust and mandate given to him during his 47-month tenure as minister since December 2022.
He will continue to support the ministry and its officials, even after stepping down as minister, as he remains an MP.
Earlier, UMNO confirmed that Najib paid the RM50 million fine imposed on him today, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest under the terms of his conditional pardon.
On September 18, the Federal Territories Pardons Board announced that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, had consented to a conditional pardon for Najib at the board's 64th meeting.
The conditional pardon enabled Najib to serve out the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest if he paid the RM50 million fine.
Najib has been serving his reduced six-year prison sentence at the Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after the board halved his original 12-year sentence in February 2024. The decision also reduced his initial RM210 million fine to RM50 million.
