That announcement carries weight because, for 22 years, he had never lost an election.
Since 2004, Loke had built one of the most consistent electoral records in Malaysian politics.
He won in Lobak, moved to Chennah, became the MP for Seremban, rose to lead DAP and eventually became one of the most visible, and arguably most successful, ministers in the federal government.
The result was not entirely unexpected. Loke himself had...