Shahrizat in her winding up speech at the Umno general assembly, said that the PDEA was much needed now, following recent revelations that certain news portals and NGO’s were being funded by “foreign powers”, alluding to hedge fund billionaire, George Soros.

“Wanita will shield the government against foreign intervention.

“We urge that those who conspire with foreign powers be investigated and brought to justice,” she said.

She reiterated Wanita Umno’s unwavering support for party president Najib Razak, adding that the wing had adopted the concept of “Wala” (obedience) from its inception 69 years ago, and that loyalty was the main pillar of the wing.

“Loyalty is the main pillar in Wanita’s struggles. In friendships, we must be loyal. In a family, we must be loyal … and most importantly, we must be loyal in our struggles.

“Wanita will always be loyal to the president and the party leadership.”

Shahrizat reminded Umno that it must take into account the economic and social issues affecting the people in order to ace the upcoming polls.

On the 2050 National Transformation (TN50) programme, Shahrizat hoped this would elevate women’s economic status in the country as many had become the breadwinners in their families today.

“Investing in women is good economics,” she said.