AMENDMENTS to the Emergency Ordinance yesterday empowered the Federal and State Governments increase spending without the approval of the Dewan Rakyat or the State Assembly – a reminder how democracy in Malaysia is stalled.

Going through the amendment, there is no doubt that things are already happening. The government has no shame and conscience riding it.

However, there is no explanation as to why they can overpass the Parliament and states legislative! Want to buy a laptop for PdPR purposes?

What they should focus now are:

– Guarantee job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of young people, including those about to graduate? It is not clear where would the 500,000 jobs mentioned in the National Employment Council will come from.

– Wooing the South Korean and Japanese investors? How to manage the declining confidence of investors toward the country when the elected representatives are gauged?

– Accelerate the implementation of Vote18 and automatic registration.

Although parliamentary democracy seems to be dead currently, the Government should take a moral responsibility to at least inform the public about their additional expenditure plans.

If the plan is good, for sure the Members of Parliament will approve it. But with the amendment to the ordinance, they can always spend to their whim and fancy.

So, explain to the public what the spending plan is. Perhaps the government can consider constructive comments and criticism for improvement purposes – such as the 2021 Budget.

After all, the power is still in the Government – what we need now is to see a little space for accountability.