Kuala lumpur: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke today announced his resignation as Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman following Saturday's outcome of the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election, in which he failed to retain the Chennah seat. Loke, who is also Transport Minister, said the decision was made out of a sense of responsibility and after having held the position for 22 years.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Loke expressed that the time had come for him to step down as state chairman and leave it to the Negeri Sembilan leadership and the Negeri Sembilan DAP committee to appoint and choose one of the existing committee members to become the new Negeri Sembilan chairman. He announced this after chairing the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting at the DAP headquarters today. Present at the meeting were DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo, DAP deputy secretary-general Hannah Yeoh, and other top party leaders.

Loke elaborated that a Negeri Sembilan DAP committee meeting would be held soon to elect a new state chairman and leadership line-up. He emphasized that his decision to relinquish the post was personal and was made without pressure from any party. He stated, "This is my personal decision without any pressure from anyone, but I feel it is the right time to hand over the position to another leader."

Despite stepping down as Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman, Loke will continue to serve as DAP secretary-general. He received unanimous backing from the party's Central Executive Committee to remain in the post and continue leading the party. Loke expressed appreciation for the unanimous support from CEC members, stating that he is committed to leading the party in facing future challenges, particularly the 16th General Election.

Previously, Loke had considered stepping down as Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman following the party's performance in the state election. The new Negeri Sembilan government was formed through cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), which won 18 and seven seats respectively, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured 11 seats. Loke lost the Chennah seat, which he had held for the past three terms.