DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has offered to resign as Transport Minister, The Star reported, following an emergency meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee on 19 September. The move comes as the party’s response to the conditional royal pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak.
Loke announced the decision at a press conference at DAP headquarters after a three-hour meeting. He said he would submit his resignation letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on 21 September.
“As a party we have a stand, we feel this is difficult to accept for DAP and many Malaysians, hence we have discussed for three hours and debated, we have reached a decision,” Loke told reporters, while reiterating that the party respects the king’s power to grant such a pardon.
The decision came a day after Najib’s pardon was approved by the Federal Territories Pardons Board, CNA reported, chaired by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. Under the terms of the pardon, Najib will serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, subject to paying a fine of RM50 million.
Loke stressed that only he would step down from Cabinet. The other four DAP ministers, 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, would remain in their posts.
“This is to ensure political stability,” Loke said. “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.”
He explained that if all DAP Cabinet members resigned, it could destabilise the government. “We are aware of the political games by certain parties and their hope for us to make a decision that will help achieve their political ambition. We will not provide a space for them in this matter,” he said.
Loke said the party had also discussed the matter thoroughly before reaching its position. “Although they are also ready at any time, the CEC decided that they would remain to ensure the government’s stability. DAP’s position is translated through my resignation as minister.”
DAP holds 40 parliamentary seats in the 222-member lower house, making it the largest party in the Pakatan Harapan coalition. The party’s other ministers were also reportedly prepared to resign, but the CEC determined that a single resignation would send a clear signal without threatening the government’s survival.
In a statement on 18 September, Loke had said the party would continue “defending the rule of law and the fight against corruption.” Last month, DAP delegates had voted overwhelmingly for its five full ministers and seven deputy ministers to remain in government, a decision made after the party lost all eight seats it contested in the November 2025 Sabah state election.
Anwar’s unity government currently draws support from 76 Pakatan Harapan MPs, 30 from Barisan Nasional, 23 from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, eight from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, and seven other government-aligned lawmakers. UMNO, Barisan Nasional’s lynchpin party, had launched a solidarity fund for Najib that raised more than RM634,000, CNA reported within the first three hours.
The pardon has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups and opposition voices, with analysts telling CNA it puts Malaysia in “uncharted legal territory” and could pave the way for other convicted prisoners to seek similar treatment.
