When Anthony Loke proposed to the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting that he should be the only one to resign as Transport Minister while others from the DAP should remain, many of us disagreed.

Throughout more than three hours of discussion, we expressed the view that if we were standing on a matter of principle, we should stand together in solidarity and leave together. As party leaders, our responsibility is not merely about holding ministerial positions. It is also about standing by the principles we believe in.

For me, this is the moment where leadership is tested. Leadership is not simply about the power we hold, but whether we are prepared to make difficult choices when our principles demand it.

Ultimately, it was Loke’s decision to make and we wholeheartedly supported him. He chose to express the party’s position through his own resignation while allowing the rest of us to continue serving in government.

His decision brought three books to my mind: Jared Diamond’s Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings, Tony Blair’s On Leadership, and Henry Kissinger’s Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.

1) Kissinger views leadership through the lens of strategic judgment, particularly the ability to navigate the tension between principles, political realities and historical circumstances. Loke’s decision reflects this difficult balance. He has made his position clear while recognising that the government must continue to deliver.

2) Blair reminds us that leadership is not simply about making political statements. It is also about translating political authority into effective governance and lasting institutional change. By remaining in government, the rest of us retain both the responsibility and the opportunity to continue pursuing reforms and serving the people.

3) Diamond raises perhaps the most challenging question: how much can one individual leader shape the course of history? In Loke’s case, the significance of his resignation will ultimately depend not only on the statement it makes today, but also on what follows from it.

For me, this is what leadership beyond position means.

Chan Foong Hin
DAP National Policy Director
21 September 2026