PUTRAJAYA – Transport Minister Anthony Loke has declined to confirm whether Thursday's monthly assembly of the Transport Ministry was his last as minister, telling reporters to wait until after Sunday's DAP Congress before drawing any conclusions.
Asked whether the assembly marked his final appearance as minister, Loke responded: “How do you know this is the last one?”
He stressed that he had never said the gathering would be his last and asked reporters to wait until Sunday before discussing his political future.
“I never said anything like that. Let’s talk after Sunday. I do not know why you are asking this question,” he said when met after the ministry's monthly assembly here on Thursday.
He later explained in jest that he was in a calm mood because they were celebrating the birthday of the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Seri M. Jana Santhiran.
“After this, we will celebrate his birthday,” he said.
The uncertainty comes ahead of the DAP Congress on Sunday, where 4,264 delegates from 1,704 eligible branches will vote on a motion determining whether the party will remain in or leave the Federal Government for the remainder of the current parliamentary term.
The congress is therefore expected to provide greater clarity on DAP's position in the Federal Government and the political direction of its leadership.