She advised BN not to come up with ideas without looking into market demands and engaging with experts.

“In our efforts to push for women empowerment, we need to be evidence-based. Do the research, look at the job market and the existing educational opportunities first,” she said.

“It is very important to be prepared. Don’t just shoot from the hip. That’s all,” she told reporters after attending Wanita PKR’s assembly in Batu Kawan.

On Wednesday, Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin said the proposed university would serve as a dedicated research centre for issues concerning women and would promote women for leadership roles.

Khaled, who heads the BN election manifesto team, said the idea was mooted by Wanita BN for inclusion in the manifesto.

Nurul Izzah, who is Permatang Pauh MP, said there was a need to focus attention on saving the students in technical and vocational institutions.

These students were in dire straits after facing college shutdowns during the Covid-19 movement controls, even though the country was dependent heavily on the TVET workforce.

“How about the lost generation, especially the estimated 25,000 students who did not do their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year? They could not continue their education due to socioeconomic hardship among other factors. This is our (PH) priority,” she added.

It was reported recently that 407,907 students had registered for the 2021 SPM examination. Of this, 24,941 candidates did not sit for the examination.

The education ministry said in June that it would be analysing the reasons behind this and come up with appropriate measures to address the problem.