Loke to Stay as Transport Minister Until Najib Begins House Arrest

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook says he will remain in the Cabinet until former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak begins serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

Loke said he had handed his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Sept 28. Anwar subsequently asked him to continue carrying out his duties for the time being. 

According to Loke, he told the Prime Minister that a timeframe was needed for his resignation to take effect. He said his resignation would take effect on the day Najib returns home to begin house arrest. 

Loke said the resignation reflects DAP’s position regarding the conditional pardon that allows Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest.

He also said he does not know when Najib will be released, adding that there is currently no replacement for him as Transport Minister. 

Najib was granted a conditional pardon on Sept 18, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the conditions set by the Pardons Board.