KUALA LUMPUR: The appointment of Anthony Loke’s successor in the cabinet is at the discretion of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the appointment of ministers was the prime minister’s prerogative and that he was best placed to make the right decision for the effective administration of the ministry.
“He knows best and will decide who he considers most suitable to lead the ministry effectively, or whether there is a need to appoint a new minister. I do not know and cannot comment further as I am not privy to the matter,” he told reporters here today.
He was responding to claims and reports naming him as the leading candidate to replace the DAP secretary-general.
Asked whether DAP had submitted a list of candidates or had been asked by Anwar to do so, Gobind, who is also Digital Minister, maintained that the matter was entirely up to the prime minister.
Loke has stepped down as transport minister following Kuala Lumpur High Court decision allowing Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
Meanwhile, on reports that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) had opposed the Malaysian Bar’s application concerning the house arrest issue in court, Gobind said he did not wish to interfere and wanted the legal process to take its proper course.
“As far as I know and have read today, the application has been filed. So, let the legal process take its course and we will see what happens next,” he said.