Loke, who is now transport minister, Seremban MP and Chennah assemblyman, replaces veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
This was decided by the DAP central executive committee, Lim said in a statement today.
“I will be a backbencher in Parliament for the first time since I was elected MP for Bandar Melaka in 1969,” he said without elaborating on the reasons for the change.
“In a governing coalition, the respective party parliamentary leaders will come from the senior party leaders.”
Yesterday, it was speculated that the administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad was seriously considering Lim, who won the Iskandar Puteri seat in Johor in the May 9 polls, for the speaker’s post.
Lim, in his statement, went on to outline plans by DAP to woo states that are now being ruled by PAS or the Barisan Nasional.
“My visit to Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang over the last two days is to announce an important political initiative.
“We want to declare Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perlis as DAP’s new and third ‘Front-Line States to bring about unity, justice, freedom and democracy.”
Lim hoped to work closely with other parties to bring these states under Pakatan Harapan in the next general election.
He said during his visit to Kampong Anggek in Gua Musang yesterday, 1,150 Orang Asli members handed in their membership application forms to set up eight Orang Asli DAP branches.
A Malaysian Thai branch and 14 other DAP branches were also set up in Terengganu and Kelantan, he added.