THE amendment to the Emergency Ordinance that provides full power the government to increase expenditure without going through the Dewan Rakyat or the State Assemblies, is of great concern.

Emergency cannot override accountability and transparency under any circumstances. The validity of the Ordinance does not necessarily give it moral legitimacy.

Something valid in an emergency must also be something guided and decided by values, morals and principles.

What more when it involves spending public funds. In any situation, no matter how complicated and difficult, it must made public to enable the people to scrutinize the spending. It’s their money too.

Our government is still a civilian one, not a military junta. So act with norms and governance in accordance to the nature of a public government.

Even during a state of emergency, the government must be more careful and responsible in spending national revenue due to the paralysis of the check and balance mechanism as well as the dysfunctional constitution.

The Prime Minister must immediately do what is right and proper for this country in the interests of democracy. Malaysia and its people deserve better credibility from the government