Najib sets heavy tasks for Puteri Umno in moving forward

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix) today instructed Puteri Umno to take on the responsibility of convincing the younger generation that Umno's struggle is the best for them and the country.
Najib, who is the Prime Minister, said the party wing also had the important responsibility of preparing women to face the challenges ahead.
"As the Umno President, I want Puteri Umno to work hard to make the younger generation, young women to realise that the struggle spearheaded by Umno and the Barisan Nasional is the best for them and the country," he said.
Najib was launching the Festival of Young Women organised by Puteri Umno at the Putra World Trade Centre here.
He said it was a task that Puteri Umno had to shoulder to make the younger generation understand why Umno's struggle was the best, why Umno and the BN came up with the transformation agenda.
He also said that the wing had to explain why the opposition was toying with the politics of hatred, the politics of defaming others, and not making known their agenda.
Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim; Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Puteri Umno chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin were among those present at the event.
The Prime Minister said the government, unlike the opposition, had come up with better plans and an agenda for national development.
"It is easy to tarnish the image of others although that is a great sin. We must know that tarnishing the image of others will not take us anywhere. We have a better agenda for national development," he said.
Najib said women should also be equipped with knowledge and skills in all aspects to face the challenges of the future.
"We must prepare the young generation, meaning we must go beyond politics; we must go more for idealism than to merely garner votes.
"It is our duty to prepare young women to face the challenges ahead by equipping them with knowledge, spirituality, soft skills, leadership, networking and such, so that we create a young generation which can take on the future challenges," he said.
Najib also said that the success of several iconic women could be used as an inspiration to create more iconic women, including from among young women.
He said young women could emulate the success of the Malaysian paralympic athletes who won three gold and one bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recently and achieve success themselves.
"When my wife and I welcomed the Rio paralympians two days ago, I noticed that they did not regard their handicap as something for them to dwell in self sympathy and assume that they are not useful to society," he said.
He said a positive attitude and determination had driven the paralympic athletes to realise their dreams.
Najib also stressed that women should be given the space and fair and equal opportunities according to their merits and capabilities.
"Women do not want to be given opportunities on compassion; women do not want to be given space because of sympathy; women do not want to depend on welfare and subsidies; women want fair and equal opportunities.
"I believe that women, given the opportunities, can succeed in all fields," he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had come up with various strategies and policies to provide more opportunities for women.
He cited some of them as the National Policy for Women, the policy on 30% participation of women in decision-making positions in the public and private sectors and the various loans for women entrepreneurs including Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia and the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun).
"We have helped 2.5 million women entrepreneurs so far, and women demonstrated their excellence in repaying loans (96%). That's our success.
"In the public sector, 34% of positions on Jusa C and above are held by women," he said.
Najib said he hoped that more women would join the private sector, especially listed companies.
The one-day Festival of Young Women comprised various activities including forums and town hall sessions on various topics as well as educational and career opportunities, and registration for 1Malaysia People's Housing Project homes. — Bernama