Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on September 23, 2026, that he will resign from the Malaysian Cabinet upon returning from an official visit to China. Loke offered to step down following a DAP Central Executive Committee meeting addressing a conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook remains resolute in his plan to step down from the Cabinet, confirming his intentions immediately after arriving in Hangzhou for a three-day official visit. The trip, made at the invitation of the Chinese government alongside Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, precedes a formal resignation letter delivery upon Loke’s return to Malaysia.
Official Engagements in Beijing and Shanghai Continue Uninterrupted
Before managing his departure from the Cabinet, Loke is scheduled to represent Malaysia at the 12th APEC Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Beijing on September 21 and 22. The Transport Ministry confirmed that his diplomatic itinerary includes signing two major Memorandums of Understanding designed to strengthen bilateral infrastructure and regulatory ties between Malaysia and China.
The first agreement establishes a comprehensive transport cooperation framework covering land, rail, maritime, aviation, and logistics sectors. The second pact focuses directly on aviation safety, forged between the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and the Civil Aviation Administration of China to address airworthiness, personnel licensing, and mutual recognition of compliance certificates.
Following these ministerial meetings, Loke will join the wider delegation led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Shanghai. The ministry has assured the public that all domestic operations and responsibilities under its purview will continue without disruption.
Pardon Decision Sparks Democratic Action Party Executive Committee Action
The political crisis stems from a Central Executive Committee meeting held by the Democratic Action Party (DAP) following the conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. As DAP secretary-general, Loke offered to resign.
“The decision has been made. I will submit the resignation letter to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) when I return home.”
Anthony Loke, DAP secretary-general and Transport Minister
Despite Loke’s impending departure, party leadership decided that other DAP ministers and deputy ministers will remain within the Unity Government.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim Responds to Resignation Intentions
While traveling by high-speed train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressed the media regarding the political fallout. Anwar stated that he would not rush into a decision regarding Loke’s offer, noting an explicit desire to hear a direct explanation while travelling from Shanghai to Hangzhou via high-speed train.
Anwar further cautioned against outside political interference, asserting that the DAP should not bow to external pressure or calls from parties with distinct political interests describing parties as having political interests to withdraw from the governing coalition entirely.
Political Stakes and What Comes Next
Anthony Loke is expected to finalize the formal handover of his transport portfolio immediately upon his return to Malaysia.