Loke stands firm on resignation as minister

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has reaffirmed his commitment to resign as transport minister following the conditional pardon given to former prime minister Najib Razak. The political strategist revealed he intends to submit his resignation letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim upon his return from China, where he is participating in a three-day working visit with the Malaysian leader.

Loke made the announcement after arriving in Hangzhou, where he is staying at the invitation of the Chinese government. Earlier, Anwar had urged Loke to reconsider his decision, cautioning that the party should not succumb to pressure from those seeking its withdrawal from the government to destabilize the administration. Loke defended his stance, stating that DAP's decision to have him resign was a "responsible one" and that his resignation would not disrupt the transport ministry's operations.

The DAP central executive committee had decided that only Loke would resign over the Najib pardon, with the party remaining in government and other ministers retaining their Cabinet positions.