Malaysia PM Anwar yet to accept Loke’s resignation as transport minister

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Anwar praised the DAP chief's performance in Cabinet, singling him out as hardworking and trustworthy. However, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, dismissed the developments as…

Anwar praised the DAP chief's performance in Cabinet, singling him out as hardworking and trustworthy. However, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, dismissed the developments as political theatrics.

Anwar, who spoke at two Pakatan Harapan rallies in Melaka ahead of this weekend's state election, also rejected accusations that he had been disloyal to the king on the issue of former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s conditional pardon, over which Loke tendered his resignation, saying he continued to enjoy a good relationship with the monarch.

“If he wants to take a short break, that’s fine. But if he wants to resign, we’ll have to discuss it further,” added Anwar, who is also chairman of PH, the anchor coalition in Malaysia's unity government.

Anwar defended Loke’s performance, saying the minister had consistently offered constructive suggestions to improve public welfare.

“He is trustworthy, hardworking and gives a lot of suggestions to improve the lives of the people,” he said.

“That is why I said it is strange that people want a good minister like him to step down while asking those who perform poorly to stay on. What kind of upside-down world is this?”

On Tuesday, Loke resigned as Malaysia's transport minister "effective immediately", following the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to allow Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest.

Loke first announced his resignation in September to protest the conditional royal pardon granted to Najib.

He later said Anwar had asked him to remain in his post temporarily, and that he would remain as transport minister until Najib began his house arrest.

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