Wanita Umno wants the attorney-general, as the custodian of public interests, to be given the power to protect Malay reserve land in the country.

The movement chief, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said the move was to compel the state governments to replace Malay reserve land whose status had been revoked to make way for development.

"From records, the Malay reserve land is getting smaller. There are states not under the Barisan Nasional administration, what will happen to the reserve land there?" she asked.

As such, she said, Wanita Umno wanted Prime Minister Najib Razak to be given the power to petition states to replace Malay reserve land whose status had been revoked for development.

The failure to protect Malay reserve land will have huge impact on the future Malay generation, she said when winding up the debate at the 2014 Umno general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre today.

Third language

Shahrizat said Wanita Umno also wanted the Education Ministry to consider introducing the learning of a third language, like Arabic, Mandarin and Tamil, as an elective subject in secondary schools to enhance unity.

The learning of such languages, while not sidelining the Malay language, could be an important communication tool for unity, she added.

Meanwhile, the Puteri Umno movement proposed the government to impose a 10 percent salary deduction for married male employees in the public and private sectors and the amount credited into the account of their spouses.

Puteri Umno leader Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, when winding up the debate, said this would help to safeguard the interest of married women as well as enable them to better manage their family household.

The system has been introduced by the Defence Ministry on Malaysian Armed Forces officers with the rank of Second Lieutenant and above.

- Bernama

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