PETALING JAYA: The government's decision to amend the Emergency Ordinance to allow increased expenditure without having to go through the Dewan Rakyat or state assemblies is extremely worrying, says Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said that a state of emergency is not a "free pass" to ignore accountability and transparency in any situation, and that the legal validity of the amendment to the ordinance does not equate to moral legitimacy.
"Any actions deemed valid during an emergency must be based on values, morals and principles.
"Moreover, it is even more crucial when it comes to spending public funds. No matter how complex, complicated and dire the situation, the government should not be able to escape rigorous scrutiny when spending the people's money and nation's wealth," he said in a statement on Friday (April 2).