Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirms he will resign when Najib begins house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR: Democratic Action Party (DAP) chief Anthony Loke said on Friday (Nov 6) he will resign as Malaysia's transport minister when former prime minister Najib Razak begins serving the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, following through on his pledge to leave the Cabinet.

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

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

Loke – whose DAP is part of the governing Pakatan Harapan coalition with Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) – had previously said his resignation was a party decision to convey its disagreement with the conditional royal pardon. 

"The moment Datuk Seri Najib sets foot in his home, that's when I will resign," he told reporters on Friday, adding that he will send a letter to Anwar regarding his decision.

On Friday, Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party said it has paid the RM50 million (US$12.3 million) fine imposed on him, paving the way for the former premier to serve his remaining jail sentence under house arrest. 

Earlier reports said that Najib would serve his sentence alone under the supervision of the prison department, with family visits also restricted.

Malaysia's king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Najib a conditional pardon on Sep 18, which allowed him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison term - until Aug 23, 2028 - at home. This pardon was subject to a payment of the RM50 million fine, among other conditions.