Loke Maintains Decision To Resign, To Hand In Letter Upon Return From China

From Harlina Samson

HANGZHOU, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said he remains firm in his decision to resign as Transport Minister.

The Seremban MP said he would hand in his resignation letter upon returning home from China.

"The decision has been made. I will submit the resignation letter to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) when I return home," he told reporters briefly after arriving in Hangzhou today.

He is currently accompanying the Prime Minister on a three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Loke offered to resign following a DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting on Saturday in response to the conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the other DAP ministers and deputy ministers would remain in the Unity Government.

Speaking to Malaysian media while travelling from Shanghai to Hangzhou by high-speed train, Anwar said he would not rush into a decision on Loke’s intention to resign as Transport Minister, adding that he wanted to hear Loke’s explanation first.

The Prime Minister added that DAP should not bow to calls from parties he described as having political interests for it to withdraw from the government.

-- BERNAMA