KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 2026 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has offered to resign as Transport Minister, saying the move is the party’s response to the conditional pardon allowing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Loke said his resignation letter will be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the near term.
The decision was taken after a three-hour Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting to discuss the development.
“I put forward this proposal to the CEC and we decided that I would resign as the party’s reaction to what has happened,” he told a press conference at DAP headquarters today.
He said the resignation applies only to him as a Cabinet member. Other DAP ministers and deputy ministers will remain in government to help safeguard political stability.
“The others, even though they are also prepared and willing to relinquish their posts at any time, the CEC has decided that for now they will remain in office to ensure political stability is still guaranteed.
“This is an action we feel is responsible, because we do not want any of our political actions to cause political instability,” he said.
Loke warned that if other DAP leaders left the Cabinet, it could undermine political stability and bring down the government led by the prime minister.
“DAP is well aware of the political games of certain parties and their hope that we would make a decision that would allow them to achieve their political ambitions. We will not give them room on this matter,” he said.
He added that plans and projects under the Transport Ministry will proceed as usual and that his resignation will not affect the ministry’s operations.
Loke also restated DAP’s position that it respects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s power of pardon, which he said cannot be questioned.
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim on Friday consented to a conditional pardon for Najib, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.
The Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department said the order was decided at the 64th Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting for Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, held at Istana Negara on Friday.
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