GEORGE TOWN (Nov 12): Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has described Anthony Loke Siew Fook's resignation as Transport Minister as a difficult decision, but one that reflects the latter’s stance of not putting self-interest first.

Chow said the DAP secretary general's decision stemmed from matters already known to the public.

"I view Anthony Loke's resignation as a painful decision for us, as the reasons behind his resignation are public knowledge," he told reporters after attending the PBA Holdings Bhd (KL:PBAHB) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) here on Thursday.

He said this when asked to comment on whether Loke's resignation was a loss to the Madani government, given that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously described the Seremban MP as hardworking and committed in carrying out his duties.

Chow, who is also a DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) member, said Loke's resignation had the CEC's blessing.

On Sept 19, Loke, after a CEC meeting, offered to resign as transport minister following DAP's stance on the conditional pardon for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

On Tuesday, Loke announced his resignation as transport minister with immediate effect following the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

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