But rest of DAP ministers to stay ‘to maintain stability’
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has offered to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “at the soonest time possible” as the party’s response to the conditional pardon granted to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Loke said other DAP ministers would not be resigning in order to maintain political stability in the country.
“We don’t want any political moves to lead to political uncertainty and at the same time, we needed a stand and reaction from the party.
“So, I will submit (my resignation as Transport Minister) to the Prime Minister at the soonest possible time. That is what we decided,” said Loke after a three-hour meeting at the DAP headquarters yesterday.
“Ministers come and go, the ministry will function as usual. I will need some time because there is some outstanding work, I will discuss with the Prime Minister. Surely, projects that are already ongoing will continue, because the ministry won’t stop functioning,” he added.
Aside from the Transport Ministry, DAP currently has Gobind Singh Deo as the Digital Minister, Hannah Yeoh as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Steven Sim as the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister and Nga Kor Ming as the Housing and Local Government Minister.
Loke said if all DAP ministers decide to resign from the Cabinet, it will lead to the collapse of the Federal Government.
At the same time, Loke said DAP respected that the pardoning power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could not be questioned.
“Although we are of the view that there has never been a precedent in our country of anyone convicted in a criminal or corruption case being placed under house arrest, we respect the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to make that decision.”
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on Friday granted Najib a conditional pardon that allows him to spend the rest of his jail term under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, as long as he pays a RM50mil fine.
Najib, 73, began serving his sentence at Kajang Prison on Aug 23, 2022, over the misappropriation of RM42mil in SRC International funds.
In January 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his 12-year jail term to six years and cut his fine from RM210mil to RM50mil.
He was also convicted on all 25 charges in the 1MDB case on Dec 26 last year, and that case is now before the Court of Appeal.
