PUTRAJAYA: Leaders like transport minister Loke Siew Fook, who champion the interests of taxi and school bus drivers, should be defended and not asked to step down, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said the country needed principled leaders who were concerned about the welfare of the people, particularly low-income groups and those in need of government assistance.
He was referring to the transport ministry’s initiative to distribute RM91 million raised from the sale of special "H" vehicle registration numbers to 38,000 taxi and hire-car drivers and 15,000 school bus drivers nationwide.
"It’s not that I want to praise Loke because he’s here, but because some people think he should quit," he said at the presentation of the one-off RM1,000 financial aid to taxi, hire-car and school bus drivers at the transport ministry today.
"Why should a good person like him have to quit? Those who should quit are those who are corrupt. We must defend good people like him. They are the ones leading our country."
Loke, the DAP secretary-general, has said he will resign once former prime minister Najib Razak begins serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Najib was granted a conditional pardon, subject to paying his RM50 million fine in the SRC International case, and other conditions.
Anwar said he had told Loke that the decision on Najib’s house arrest was not for the prime minister to make, but fell under the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s powers under the Federal Constitution.
"I told him to sit down and do his job, because the country needs leadership that has principles and cares about the people," he said.
In his speech, Anwar recalled receiving support he received from taxi drivers when he faced pressure and detention following the Reformasi movement in 1998.
He said their support was one reason he continued to pay attention to their welfare after becoming prime minister.
“Now that I’m prime minister, surely I can’t say no when taxi drivers ask for RM1,000,” he said, referring to the one-off aid announced in the 2027 budget last Friday.
The first group of eligible drivers received vouchers for the assistance today.