Anthony Loke quits Cabinet but says DAP still has Anwar’s back

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke speaking at the Pakatan Harapan flagship ceramah in Melaka Baru on November 10, 2026 — Bernama pic

First Published: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 8:54 AM MYT

MELAKA, Nov 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should not bow to political pressure to dissolve Parliament ahead of schedule.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the power and prerogative to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the dissolution of Parliament rested solely with the prime minister.

“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 still has another year left in his mandate,” he told reporters after attending a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ceramah in Batu Berendam here last night.

He was responding to calls for Parliament to be dissolved rather than for a Cabinet reshuffle to be carried out, following the impending expiry of Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan’s term as a senator on December 11.

Loke also announced his resignation as Transport Minister with immediate effect yesterday, following the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision ordering former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case under house arrest at his residence.

He said that despite stepping down from the Cabinet, DAP would continue to give its full support to Anwar to lead the country until the end of the government’s term.

Loke described the calls for Parliament’s dissolution as mere “political games” and advised government allies who no longer shared the same position to make their own decisions.

“If they feel they can no longer work together or no longer respect the prime minister, they can decide whether to continue supporting him or withdraw their support.

“But there is no need to pressure the prime minister to dissolve Parliament,” he said. — Bernama