PAS has questioned Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook’s decision to make his resignation effective when former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak begins serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
PAS Information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said a resignation from a Cabinet position was an official government matter and should have a clear effective date.
“If the letter has indeed been submitted, how can you write a resignation letter with an effective date that has no direct connection?” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“Or do you already know when Najib will return home?”
Loke confirmed on Monday that he had submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
However, he said the resignation would take effect once Najib leaves prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Ahmad Fadhli also questioned why the DAP secretary-general had linked the effective date of his resignation to developments involving Najib.
He sarcastically suggested that resignation letters could otherwise be written with effective dates tied to events such as a full moon or a change of prime minister.
“Enough with the drama. Just hold on to the position until the entire Cabinet falls, right? It’s easier,” he said.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden also criticised Loke’s decision, describing it as a “joke”.
“Najib is quite powerful. His situation can determine when someone wants to resign,” Afnan said.
He questioned why Loke’s resignation, if based on principle, should depend on where Najib serves his sentence.
“Someone who has principles, if they say they want to resign, should simply resign. Principles do not depend on a place or location. Principles should not have to wait for whether someone remains in prison or returns home,” he said.
Afnan acknowledged that a decision had been made regarding Najib’s house arrest but said its implementation remained subject to the conditions imposed.
He claimed the decision had yet to take effect, possibly because the RM50 million fine had not been settled, and argued that Loke should have resigned when the decision was announced rather than waiting for Najib to return home.
