Anthony Loke resigned as Malaysia’s Transport Minister on September 19, citing his opposition to the house arrest order granted to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Loke, who serves as the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), announced his departure following a three-hour emergency meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee.
The house arrest order was issued on September 18 by the Federal Territories Pardons Board, which is chaired by the King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. Under the terms of the order, Najib is permitted to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, provided he pays a 50 million ringgit fine. As of September 19, the fine remained unpaid.
While Loke resigned from his cabinet position, he confirmed that the four other DAP ministers would remain in the government. These ministers include Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim, and Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. Loke stated that the party’s decision to maintain its presence in the cabinet is intended to ensure political stability.
The decision has drawn attention to previous public statements made by Nga Kor Ming, who had previously pledged to resign from his ministerial post if Najib were released. Nga remains in his position as of September 19. Additionally, Hannah Yeoh, who serves on the pardons board that authorized the house arrest, also remains in the cabinet.
Loke noted that while the party finds the pardon difficult to accept, it respects the constitutional authority of the King to grant such orders. The DAP, which holds 40 seats in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, is the largest bloc within the Pakatan Harapan coalition. Analysts have suggested that a full withdrawal of DAP ministers could destabilize the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
This development follows a recent internal party vote in which DAP delegates supported the party’s continued participation in the government following electoral losses in Sabah. The resignation of Loke marks the first time a senior DAP leader has stepped down from the cabinet during the current administration’s term.
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