Rombakan kecil pemimpin DAP dalam Kabinet dijangka selepas Loke berundur

Analysts predict Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will make a small DAP leadership reshuffle following Loke Siew Fook's resignation as Minister of Transport. Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Academy suggests one of the four DAP ministers may hold the Transport portfolio temporarily, or a seventh DAP deputy minister could be promoted to minister.

James Chin from the University of Tasmania notes Anwar will face no difficulty choosing a Loke replacement due to the party's qualified MPs. The easiest path for Loke would be to suggest himself as the successor, with the next senior DAP minister moving into Loke's position and the new DAP leader appointed to a lower-ranking cabinet role.

Loke resigned as Transport Minister yesterday after the High Court issued a stay allowing Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for the SRC International case under house arrest. The former PM will serve the remainder of his sentence at his home in Taman Duta, Kuala Lumpur, until August 23, 2028. DAP currently has four ministers in the Cabinet – Gobind Singh Deo (Digital), Steven Sim (Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives), Nga Kor Ming (Local Government and Housing), and Hannah Yeoh (Federal Territory).

The party also has seven deputy ministers: M Kulasegaran (Law and Institutional Reform), Liew Chin Tong (Finance), Wong Kah Woh (Education), Chan Foong Hin (Agriculture and Food Security), Lim Hui Ying (Women, Family and Community Development), Mordi Bimol (Youth and Sports), and Teo Nie Ching (Communications). Loke does not need to keep the Transport portfolio, however Chin argues the timing of the reshuffle is a minor issue given DAP or Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has no authority over conditional pardons.

They cannot prevent Najib from serving his remaining prison time under house arrest, which is also the absolute authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Chin concludes Loke's attempt to capitalize on the pardon issue is misguided when DAP and PH have no control over it. He notes Loke may be courting votes from Chinese voters in urban areas typically supportive of PH, but urging the government to implement long-awaited political reforms is far more important for maintaining voter support.

Azmi also believes it is time for Loke to fulfill his promise to resign as the issue puts PH in a difficult position ahead of the PRN Melaka election. Loke became a target of opposition criticism after announcing his resignation last September but later claiming he would only take office once Najib was released from prison. This puts Anwar in a confusing situation as he must keep Loke in place.

Additionally, Umno continues to exploit the issue, including Loke's delayed resignation, which puts PH in a defensive position. This has a negative impact on PH candidates in Melaka. Thus, I believe this decision is beneficial for DAP, as it reduces the political ammunition used by Umno and PAS in their campaigns.