Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak, with his departure formally tied to when Najib begins house arrest.
DAP Secretary-General Submits Resignation After Najib Pardon Decision
Anthony Loke Siew Fook officially tendered his resignation as Transport Minister in the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government on September 28, following a meeting of the Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) central executive committee (CEC) at the party headquarters in Pudu to reflect the party’s disagreement with the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The King of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, consented to the conditional pardon, allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
Najib has been serving a sentence following his conviction in the SRC International case, which were subsequently addressed through pardons board actions. According to Loke, the rest of DAP’s ministers and deputy ministers will stay on inside the federal unity coalition alongside Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet to uphold political stability, whereas his personal departure functions as an institutional protest against a ruling that he described as hard for the public to swallow.
Kami menghormati kuasa pengampunan Yang di-Pertuan Agong tetapi sebagai sebuah parti, DAP mempunyai pendirian sendiri mengenai perkara ini dan kami rasa ini adalah sesuatu yang sukar diterima oleh rakyat Malaysia. — Anthony Loke
Anwar Ibrahim Delays Decision and Sets Conditions for Departure
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed receiving Anthony Loke’s Cabinet resignation letter and plans to discuss the matter with him. Explaining that he values Loke’s stellar work at the Transport Ministry and wishes to respect his choice, Anwar adopted a deliberate and measured stance, noting to journalists that he was still awaiting the formal documentation following Universiti Teknologi MARA’s alumni gathering for its 70th anniversary on Sept 26, and later at Malaysia Professional Day at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
During their discussions, Anwar asked Loke to continue carrying out his duties for the time being. Loke subsequently established a clear timeframe with the prime minister regarding when the resignation would take effect.
Semasa perbincangan itu, beliau meminta saya terus menjalankan tugas buat sementara waktu. Beliau akan membuat keputusan, tetapi saya katakan bahawa perlu ada jangka masa. Jadi, jangka masa adalah apabila Najib pulang ke rumah, peletakan jawatan saya akan berkuat kuasa. — Anthony Loke
Loke noted that his resignation will only take effect when Najib begins house arrest, telling reporters after officiating Malaysia Maritime Week 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre that he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on September 28. Until that transition occurs, his work continues.
Political Pressures and Opposition Speculation Surrounding Cabinet Vacancy
According to Hisommudin, Loke’s latest agreement with Anwar for the resignation to take effect when Najib begins house arrest spares the PM from having to look for his replacement for now. The departure of Loke would pile extra pressure on Anwar by causing an opening in the Cabinet, triggering guesswork over his successor, and potentially sparking whispers about a broader government reshuffle prior to the polls. Although Malaysia’s 16th general election (GE16) is only scheduled to take place by February 2028, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who represents the Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance, has pushed Anwar to dissolve Parliament immediately following BN’s recent triumph in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections. Azmi Hassan, who serves as a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, pointed out that Anwar is buying time because he relies heavily on DAP’s unreserved backing within the Cabinet and cannot afford to lose any of its representatives. Anwar also criticized individuals rejoicing over the resignation of Transport Minister Anthony Loke, emphasizing that the DAP secretary-general has excelled in his portfolio and questioning why critics target his competent administration while ignoring true issues like embezzlement, thievery, and corruption.
Masalahnya ialah rasuah, kecurian dan penyelewengan. Anda tidak membangkitkan isu-isu ini. Tetapi anda bangkitkan isu menyuruh beliau letak jawatan. — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar emphasized that Anthony Loke had only submitted his resignation letter yesterday, noting his performance as very good and questioning why people want someone who does not steal to resign while brushing aside corruption.
Internal Party Dynamics and Administration Roles
The fallout touches on internal party dynamics within the federal administration. Sebelum peletakan jawatannya, DAP mempunyai lima menteri dan tujuh timbalan menteri dalam Kerajaan Persekutuan. Lima menteri tersebut ialah Loke Siew Fook, Steven Sim, Gobind Singh Deo, Nga Kor Ming, and Hannah Yeoh, selain tujuh pemimpin lain yang memegang jawatan timbalan menteri. Namun, daripada keseluruhan 12 anggota pentadbiran DAP, hanya Loke bersedia melepaskan jawatan. DAP’s leadership clarified that its remaining ministers and deputy ministers must stay put to maintain governmental stability, whereas Loke revealed that he personally initiated the resignation before the Central Executive Committee (CEC) endorsed the move as an official party response.
Expressing that he wishes to honor the Transport Minister’s choice without rushing, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated that he is taking a cautious approach regarding Anthony Loke’s intention to step down, while noting Saya beri ruang, saya tak mahu berburu-buru dan gopoh kerana saya hormat keputusan dia.
Loke stated that his decision had been made upon returning from China, where he had accompanied the Prime Minister on his three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Based on administration evaluations highlighted by observers, the Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook has maintained an outstanding performance record throughout his tenure, making it unreasonable for him to be forced out over the financial scandals of other leaders. Loke remains active in his role while awaiting the formal timeline tied to Najib’s house arrest transition.