Loke to proceed with China visit before returning to handle resignation process

KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke will proceed with his scheduled official programme in China, where he will represent Malaysia at the 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, taking place today and tomorrow.

The Transport Ministry (MOT), in a statement today, said the programme would include several bilateral meetings and the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

The first MoU, on transport cooperation between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the People's Republic of China, will cover the land, rail, maritime, aviation and logistics sectors.

The second, between the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), will focus on aviation safety cooperation.

"The CAAM–CAAC MoU covers areas including airworthiness, aviation organisation certification, personnel licensing, operational oversight, and the mutual recognition of findings and certificates of compliance," the statement read.

The MOT also said that after completing his official engagements in Beijing, Loke is scheduled to travel to Shanghai to join the prime minister's delegation before returning to Malaysia to attend to matters related to his resignation as transport minister.

"The MOT will continue to ensure that all ministry affairs and responsibilities are carried out as usual, in a professional and orderly manner," it said.

Loke offered to resign as transport minister following the DAP's position on the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.