Shahrizat: We’ll win if we take care of voters’ bread and butter concerns

UMNO’S three wings vowed to remain loyal to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, with Wanita chief Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil urging the party to keep track and deal with the voters’ bread and butter concerns ahead of the ge­neral election (GE14).

“We must be attentive to the issues that the public face, from the price of cooking oil to job opportunities for the youth, opportunities for women, Syariah issues, drugs and others.

“If this is our approach to GE14, there would be no slander or allegations that can cause the public to lose trust in Barisan Nasional,” Shahrizat said during her winding up speech.

With women making up at least 50% of voters in GE14, the survival of any political party or government would be better assured if women leaders and women’s issues were brought forward, she added.

Shahrizat said that loyalty had been part and parcel of Wanita for the past 69 years since its establishment in the party.

“Loyalty is a key pillar in the struggle of Wanita,” she said.

Pretty woman, pretty brooches: Haninah Syed Osman showing a variety of brooches with the Umno logo at a bazaar during the general assembly.

Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the concept wala (loyalty) given to the Umno president was not blind loyalty but based on the teachings of Islam.

Khairy in his winding up speech said that the reason he pledged loyalty to the party president was because Najib had fulfilled all demands made by Umno Youth since he helmed it eight years ago.

“All wishes that come from the grassroots will become a reality under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” he said.

He added that all the demands made by the wing were for the rakyat and not for the self-interest of any leader.

“We never ask anything for ourselves as we do it for the rakyat, and that is why it is compulsory to support the party president,” Khairy said.

Puteri Umno chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin also vowed that her movement would remain loyal to the party leader.

She called on her members not to add on to the burden that the party was already carrying.

Instead, she said that Puteri members should reflect on themselves.

“It is undeniable that we were affected by disloyalty towards the party,” she said.

Mas Ermieyati said that over the past year, Umno had seen a clash between hope, loyalty and betrayal.

“Although there are those who betrayed and threatened us, those who sulked as well as sabotaged us, we will choose to remain loyal,” she said.