KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan today urged for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to uphold transparency and accountability, and even more so since the country has put under a state of Emergency.

In a statement posted on his Facebook today, Mohamad or commonly known as Tok Mat, said these guiding principles are important as the administration is still answerable to the public.

"The government is still a government for the people, not a military junta government. Therefore, it should behave and act as a government for the people.

"It is far more critical for a Government to be vigilant and responsible when spending the nation’s revenue during an emergency, due to the paralysation of both check-and-balance mechanisms and the Federal Constitution,’’ he said.

Umno is part of the PN government, together with among others Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PAS — two parties which it has since vowed not to work together with in the 15th general election.

This comes after a new Emergency law that was introduced on March 31 that would allow the government to approve additional public spending without going through the Parliament.

Mohamad then stressed that any decision made by the government, especially on matters of public spending must be done through the right values and principles.

"The validity of the amendment to the Ordinance does not necessarily give any moral legitimacy.  Any actions deemed valid during an emergency must be based on values, morals, and principles.

 "Moreover, it is more crucial when it comes to spending public funds. No matter how complex, complicated, and dire the situation is, the government should not be able to escape the rigorous scrutiny when spending the people’s money and nation’s wealth,” he said.

Malaysia has been put under a state of Emergency from January 11 until the expected end date of August 1 unless lifted earlier. During this period, Parliament and state legislative assemblies — which typically play the role of checks and balance on the executive branch of the government — have been suspended until further notice.