SHANGHAI: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he will not rush into deciding on Anthony Loke’s offer to resign as Transport Minister, saying he wants to hear Loke’s explanation first.
“I am giving him space. I don’t want to rush because I respect his decision,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that he had yet to have the opportunity to discuss the matter with Loke.
Loke had offered to step down following a DAP central executive committee meeting on Sept 19, in response to the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Anwar said Loke’s resignation offer should not be viewed as opposition to the administration or DAP’s cooperation within the unity government, Bernama reported.
He added that he respects Loke’s decision as one rooted in anti-corruption principles, noting that both leaders remain aligned on those values.
Meanwhile, Loke said he remains firm in his decision to resign and would hand in his resignation letter upon returning home from China.
“The decision has been made. I will submit the resignation letter to the Prime Minister when I return home,” he said briefly.
Loke is accompanying the Prime Minister on a three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of the Chinese government.
On Sept 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The house arrest arrangement is subject to the former prime minister paying a RM50mil fine and compliance with stipulated conditions.
