Anwar to Meet Loke After Shanghai Trip to Discuss Resignation
SHAH ALAM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to meet Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook soon following the DAP leader’s decision to resign from his ministerial post.
Anwar said the meeting would take place once Loke had completed his engagements in Shanghai.
“The meeting will be held later because he (Loke) may be going to Shanghai first.
“If I’m not mistaken, he will be going to Shanghai tomorrow. I will be there on Tuesday after discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang,” he told reporters after the Reformist Pioneers Reunion Hi-Tea at the Selangor International Trade Centre (SITC) here today.
Also present were his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Earlier, Loke announced that he would resign as Transport Minister as DAP’s response to the decision allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
However, Loke was reported as saying that other DAP ministers and deputy ministers would remain in the Unity Government.
Last Friday, the Federal Territories Pardons Board announced that Najib, 73, had been granted a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to stipulated conditions, including the payment of a RM50 million fine.
The decision was made at the 64th meeting of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya at Istana Negara.
The Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister’s Department said Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, had granted the conditional pardon.
Elaborating, Anwar said he had yet to receive Loke’s resignation letter as the matter had only been discussed at the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting yesterday.
“Not yet, because he only discussed it at yesterday’s meeting. He has already informed me.
“He said he would bring the letter and discuss it with me. I told him that was fine and that we could discuss it when there is a suitable opportunity,” he said.
Asked whether a Cabinet reshuffle would take place following the development, Anwar said the matter would be discussed later, one step at a time.
“One thing at a time,” he said briefly.
Berita Harian