Anthony Loke Resigns as Transport Minister

Entity Overview: Anthony Loke's Resignation as Malaysia's Transport Minister

Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Secretary-General of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Malaysia's Transport Minister (Menteri Pengangkutan), has offered his resignation from the Cabinet position. This political resignation is a direct response to the federal government's decision to allow former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. Loke will submit his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the near future. The move affects the stability of the Unity Government (Kerajaan Perpaduan) and Malaysia's transport policy leadership under the current administration.

Key Facts

Why Did Anthony Loke Resign as Transport Minister?

Anthony Loke resigned as Transport Minister to translate DAP's official stance against the government's decision to permit former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve his remaining sentence under house arrest. The decision was reached after the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) deliberated for nearly three hours on Saturday afternoon at DAP Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"DAP's stance is translated through my resignation as Transport Minister. I will submit the letter to the Prime Minister in the near future."— Anthony Loke Siew Fook, at a press conference at DAP Headquarters, 19 September 2026

"Anthony Loke's resignation as Transport Minister was announced on 19 September 2026, following a nearly three-hour DAP CEC meeting held on Saturday afternoon."

Will Other DAP Ministers Also Leave the Cabinet?

No. The DAP CEC decided that all other DAP ministers and deputy ministers will remain in the Unity Government for now, despite having expressed readiness to step down at any time. The decision was made to guarantee political stability and prevent the administration led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from losing its majority support in Parliament.

"We are very aware of certain parties' political games and their hopes that DAP will make decisions that allow their political ambitions to be achieved. We will not give space to that matter."— Anthony Loke Siew Fook, DAP Secretary-General

"DAP ministers and deputy ministers other than Anthony Loke will remain in the Unity Government, as decided by the CEC on 19 September 2026."

What Was the DAP's Position on Najib Razak's House Arrest?

DAP respects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's pardon power as provided under the Federal Constitution, and Anthony Loke said the decision cannot be disputed. However, he acknowledged that DAP was aware of certain parties hoping the party would exit the government, potentially triggering political instability or a change of government. Only Loke's resignation was offered at this stage; other DAP cabinet members remain in their posts.

"DAP respects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's constitutional pardon power, and the decision on Najib Razak's house arrest cannot be disputed according to Loke's statement on 19 September 2026."

What This Means for Malaysian Politics and Transport Policy

For Malaysian citizens, this resignation raises questions about continuity in transport policy. The source material does not specify a successor or detail immediate changes to transport policy direction. What is known is that the resignation is a Cabinet-level decision affecting the Ministry of Transport, while DAP's other ministerial positions remain unchanged within the Kerajaan Perpaduan framework.

The CEC's decision to keep other DAP ministers in place reflects a calculated approach to safeguarding the government's majority in Parliament. The source does not disclose the full list of DAP ministers or deputy ministers affected, nor does it indicate when the resignation letter will be formally delivered to the Prime Minister.

"The DAP CEC's decision to retain other ministers in the Unity Government was explicitly designed to avoid triggering political instability or a change of government."

Common Questions

Why did Anthony Loke resign as Transport Minister?

Anthony Loke resigned to reflect DAP's stance against the government's decision to allow former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his remaining sentence under house arrest. The resignation was announced on 19 September 2026 after a nearly three-hour DAP CEC meeting on Saturday afternoon.

Will DAP leave the Unity Government?

No. The CEC decided that other DAP ministers and deputy ministers will remain in the government to ensure political stability and prevent the Anwar administration from losing its majority support, despite being ready to leave at any time. Only Anthony Loke's resignation was accepted at this stage.

Does DAP dispute the Agong's decision on Najib's house arrest?

No. Anthony Loke stated that DAP respects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's pardon power under the Federal Constitution and that the decision cannot be disputed. However, he said DAP was aware of certain parties hoping the party would leave the government to achieve their political ambitions.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based on a single primary source: "Anthony Loke letak jawatan Menteri Pengakutan" by Firdaus Razani, published by Careta.my on 19 September 2026. The source URL is https://careta.my/article/anthony-loke-letak-jawatan-menteri-pengakutan.

The Malay-language source was translated into English (British spelling) for this article. Original entity names, proper nouns, and political titles have been preserved. No currency conversions were required as the source contains no monetary figures.

This article was last updated on 19 September 2026, matching the publication date of the primary source. No additional sources were used, and no statistics beyond those explicitly stated in the source have been included.