At last Thursday's parliamentary debate on the second stimulus package, I asked Prime Minister-in-waiting and Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak whether the finance ministry will adhere to open, transparent and accountable practices in the management and implementation of the RM60 billion stimulus package.

In his reply, the finance minister indicated that the government was committed to the notion of transparency.

However, he failed to suggest a specific mechanism to ensure openness, transparency and accountability.