Loke's resignation gives Anwar room to reconsider Cabinet line-up, says analyst

SHAH ALAM – Anthony Loke's resignation as Transport Minister presents Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with an opportunity to reconsider Cabinet appointments and redistribute ministerial portfolios without necessarily affecting the unity government's parliamentary balance.

O2 Research head and political analyst Anis Anwar Suhaimi said DAP did not necessarily need to retain the Transport portfolio, particularly as appointing another party representative immediately could undermine the political message behind Loke's resignation.

He said PKR Wangsa Maju MP Ir Ts Zahir Hassan could be considered for the position, given his civil engineering background and experience in infrastructure development and project management.

"His appointment would allow the Prime Minister's own party to assume responsibility for the portfolio while maintaining administrative continuity until the end of the parliamentary term, without immediately replacing Loke with another DAP minister," he said.

Anis said Loke's departure did not automatically weaken DAP's political influence, as its 40 parliamentary seats following the 15th General Election (GE15) remained an important source of strength within the unity government.

He said the party's parliamentary representation carried greater significance than the loss of a single ministerial position, as the government's survival ultimately depended on parliamentary support.

Anis also said the Transport Ministry remained strategically important despite having less direct political leverage than ministries such as Finance, Home and Education.

He pointed to its RM7.07 billion allocation under Budget 2027, including RM5.40 billion for development expenditure, as evidence of its administrative and developmental significance.

On leadership renewal, Anis said appointing a younger DAP representative merely to fill Loke's vacancy could expose the individual to unnecessary political risks, particularly with a relatively short period remaining before GE16.

He said younger politicians needed meaningful authority and sufficient time to demonstrate their capabilities rather than being appointed as part of a temporary political arrangement.

Anis also said Loke's resignation could provide Anwar with an opportunity for a wider Cabinet reshuffle, particularly with the first Senate terms of Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan due to end on Dec 11, 2026.

He said this could allow Anwar to review ministerial responsibilities and coalition representation as part of an administrative transition rather than appearing to respond solely to political pressure.

On DAP's response to the disagreement involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest arrangement, Anis said the party could have withdrawn all its ministers while continuing to support the government in Parliament.

However, he said its decision to limit the response to Loke's resignation reflected an attempt to express political disagreement without surrendering its executive influence.

Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun said leadership renewal was not necessarily a major concern for DAP, given the age profile of its existing ministers.

"I think most DAP ministers are in their 40s, so no question about leadership renewal, as most other parties’ leaders could be their fathers or grandpas," he said.

Oh also described Loke as a politician known for his work ethic and moderate approach.

On DAP's efforts to attract Malay voters, he said the party should reconsider its strategy, arguing that its attempts to win greater support from the community had achieved limited success.