PUTRAJAYA, Nov 6 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook has announced his resignation after former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak left Kajang Prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Loke said his stance on the matter had not changed and that his resignation would take effect the moment Najib arrives home.
“I would like to record my appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the trust and mandate given to me throughout my 47 months serving as Transport Minister, from December 2022 until today,” he said at a press conference.
Loke said he had been informed that the RM50 million payment issue involving Najib had been settled at the High Court this morning and that he would be released from prison.
“However, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had informed me that Najib had not yet been allowed to return home,” he said.
He added he had also received confirmation that Najib had been taken to a dental clinic for an examination, as scheduled, following media reports that the former prime minister had left Kajang Prison.
Loke reiterated that his resignation would take effect immediately once Najib arrived at his residence, adding that he would submit an additional letter to Anwar to formalise the matter.
“My resignation letter had already been submitted earlier and my position remained unchanged,” he said.
Asked whether Anwar had contacted him over the matter, Loke said they had spoken after the Cabinet meeting, but maintained that he would remain consistent with his earlier position.
“This is my party’s decision and I will abide by it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Loke said he had chaired a post-Cabinet meeting at the Transport Ministry today to settle administrative matters and ensure a smooth transition of duties.
“Although, my resignation will take effect immediately once Najib arrives home, I have already been invited by the Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri M. Jana Santhiran to attend the Deepavali celebration next Wednesday.
“Therefore, I will return on Wednesday and that may also be my last official engagement with the ministry,” he said.
He also expressed his appreciation to the ministry’s secretary-general, deputy secretaries-general, division secretaries and all ministry officials for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.
On the ministry’s ongoing plans and initiatives, Loke said all programmes would continue as scheduled, expressing confidence in the ability of its officers to ensure continuity.
Among the initiatives, he said the MyKomuter50 programme would be launched by December, while East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) was scheduled to begin operations on December 12.
He added that the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project was also scheduled to begin in February.
Loke said he would continue supporting the ministry even after leaving the Cabinet, as he would remain a Member of Parliament.
“I am still a Member of Parliament, so I will continue to provide support to the ministry’s officers. Whatever I can help with or contribute, I will do so,” he said.
