Anwar urges Loke to reconsider resignation as minister

 The prime minister says he is giving the DAP secretary-general space and does not want to rush the matter.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said DAP should not succumb to pressure from those who want it to withdraw from the government, after the party’s secretary-general, Loke Siew Fook, said he is quitting the Cabinet. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged transport minister Loke Siew Fook to reconsider his resignation following the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak.

Anwar said DAP should not succumb to pressure from those who want the party to withdraw from the government simply to destabilise the administration, Harian Metro reported.

“Some people ask, why only Loke? Why not all from DAP leave? Whose suggestion is that? Why should he leave? He did nothing wrong. He did not propose the conditional pardon; in fact, he tried his best to oppose it.

“So I think DAP should not succumb to pressure from people with vested interests because they want to destabilise the government.

“They want to find ways to weaken the government through these dirty tactics,” he was quoted as saying in Shanghai.

Anwar reiterated that he would further discuss the matter with Loke to hear his official explanation and ask him to reconsider the resignation.

He said he respected Loke and DAP’s longstanding principles in opposing kleptocracy and corruption, which made it difficult for them to accept the Federal Territories Pardons Board’s (FTPB) decision.

“I am giving him space and do not want to rush things because I respect his decision. He is not opposing my decision or the Madani government, nor is he opposing cooperation within the unity government.

“He feels it is difficult to defend the pardons board’s decision when his party, and even Pakatan Harapan, have held a very firm position on this issue from the outset,” he said.

Loke had maintained that DAP’s decision that only he should step down was a “responsible one”, and he said his resignation, if accepted by Anwar, would not jeopardise the transport ministry’s operations.

The prime minister also criticised certain quarters for trying to manipulate the issue by suggesting that there was a compromise or secret deal between him and the Umno leadership with respect to Najib’s conditional pardon.

He said his administration’s priority was to steer the country wisely, maintain political stability, preserve good relations with the Malay Rulers, and drive economic growth. - FMT