KUALA LUMPUR – Umno has reiterated its calls for Parliament to reconvene, in line with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s view that the sessions can be held during the state of emergency.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that this was among the issues that were discussed during the party’s Supreme Council meeting this evening.
“The government cannot be seen to hamper the practice of parliamentary democracy,” he told reporters after the meeting at the party's headquarters in Menara Dato’ Onn.
“Parliament and the state assembly act as a check and balance so that the government does not do as it wishes until it compromises the interests and welfare of the people who are faced with many challenges involving the economy, unemployment, and living costs.”
Ahmad said this was the main rationale behind Umno’s repeated calls for Parliament to resume.
“There must be accountability towards all aspects of spending the people’s money, and the surge in federal government debt, which has breached 60% of gross domestic product.
“This goes against the National Debt Act approved in Parliament,” he said.
He also said that the unprecedented use of funds from the National Trust Fund, or Kumpulan Wang Amanah Negara, was also a reason for the call, as it was the “final bastion” for the country if natural resources were depleted.
Additionally, Ahmad said the trust of foreign investors would also erode if parliamentary democracy was suspended as the aspect of good governance in terms of checks and balances would be absent.
“Special standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be developed to allow parliamentary sittings and state assemblies to be conducted as practiced in other countries around the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said that the party had also called for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe the contents of the book My Story: Justice in the Wilderness by former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas.
In other matters, the Supreme Council also decided to send a letter to the Registrar of Societies and the National Security Council seeking their advice on how to conduct party elections while complying with Covid-19 SOPs.
“This is to ensure the process of party elections entailing Umno’s branches, made up of the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings totalling 66,287 meetings at all 191 divisions nationwide, involving some 3.3 million people will be carried out effectively and smoothly,” said Ahmad.
He said this took into account the rising number of Covid-19 infections. – The Vibes, April 25, 2021
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