KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 27 – Vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said although the government deserves some pats on the back , the absence of Parliament sitting is not helping them contain the Covid-19 pandemic and revive the economy.

In fact, he said the country has managed to ease the threat of the pandemic without emergency.

“Most intriguing is, we don’t see any improvement to it under the emergency.

“So, it is proper that the decision is brought to the Parliament for debate and not comes under jurisdiction of the prime minister alone,” he said in a Facebook posting.

On UMNO’s Supreme Council demand for the Parliament session resume, he said the absence of such a session might lead to two major things, namely:

“Firstly, no accountability to government action since there is no check and balance. When various institutions and the democracy organ are suspended, the government can do whatever they like to their whim and fancy by riding on the emergency.

“Secondly, whatever decisions made will be a one way street and not referred to all parties,” he said.

UMNO, he said will continue with any effort to fight the pandemic and reviving the economy.

“We must excel. At the same time, UMNO will not renegade on the responsibility to ensure the government is on the right check and balance as this is true democracy for the country.”