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 also said DAP should not succumb to pressure from those calling for the party to withdraw from the government in an attempt to destabilise the administration, Harian Metro reported.
Anwar asks Loke to reconsider
‘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,’ Anwar was quoted as saying in Shanghai.
‘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 said.
Anwar said he would discuss the matter further with Loke to hear his official explanation and ask him to reconsider his resignation.
Respect for Loke and DAP’s position
Anwar 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 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 said.
‘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 added.
Loke had maintained that DAP’s decision that only he should step down was a ‘responsible one’.
He also said his resignation, if accepted by Anwar, would not jeopardise the operations of the Transport Ministry.
Anwar rejects claims of secret deal
Anwar also criticised certain quarters for attempting to manipulate the issue by suggesting that there had been a compromise or secret deal between him and the Umno leadership over 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.
