Use Melaka polls to express views on Najib, Loke urges voters

 The DAP secretary-general, however, says the king’s constitutional powers and the rule of law must be respected.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook greeting well-wishers at an event in Melaka tonight.

MELAKA:

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has urged voters in Melaka who are unhappy with former prime minister Najib Razak’s house arrest to express their views through the ballot box on Saturday.

He said he believed many Malaysians disagreed with the house arrest decision, but stressed that the king’s constitutional powers and the rule of law must be respected.

“I am sure many people cannot accept the fact that Najib can serve his sentence under house arrest. Of course, we respect the power of the king, the Federal Constitution and the rule of law. The pardon is provided for under the constitution.

“Whether or not we accept that decision, we can express our views through the ballot box,” he said at Pakatan Harapan’s ceramah here in Ayer Keroh.

Earlier today, Loke stepped down as transport minister effective immediately, following a High Court order allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest.

Loke said the state election was not solely about Najib but also about elected representatives, local development and the people’s livelihoods.

“Of course, the election is not just about one person. It’s not just about Najib. It’s also about elected representatives and local development,” he said.

Loke said calls for Parliament’s dissolution were mere “political games” and advised government allies who disagreed with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to decide whether they wanted to withdraw their support.

“We know they are trying to capitalise on the current momentum to pressure the prime minister into dissolving Parliament.

“But I am confident the prime minister will not bow to pressure because he still has the mandate and sufficient support in Parliament to continue his administration. He has another year left,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Loke was responding to calls for Parliament to be dissolved instead of a Cabinet reshuffle as finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan’s term as a senator is also expiring on Dec 11.

He said although he had stepped down from the Cabinet, DAP would continue to give Anwar its full support to lead the country until the end of the government’s term. - FMT