Marriage and household knowledge should be wholly taught in schools and universities to prepare the young for married life, Puteri UMNO suggested today.

Its chief, Mas Ermiyati Samsudin said the compulsory two-day marriage course conducted by state-level authorities did not provide enough input about married life and household skills to young women.

“Ideally, the course should encompass everything from managing household economy, care during confinement, childcare, nutrition and many more,” she said in her keynote speech during the party wing’s assembly at the UMNO General Assembly in Putra World Trade Centre.

Her suggestion came after elaborating on the rising divorce rate among Muslim couples in the country which averages about 72 cases daily or three cases every hour – a fact she deemed as worrying.

The figures cited were from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia’s (JAKIM) records between 1990 and 2010.

“I believe if young women were exposed to extensive and hands-on knowledge on household affairs, they will be more successful in their marriages,” she said.

Meanwhile, speaking on crimes such as snatch theft, child kidnappings and violence against women, Mas Ermiyati called for more campaigns to be carried out to instill awareness among the public on the safety of women and children.

“A think tank needs to be established to review the Child Act 2001 for it to be more inclusive and to ensure the punishment befits the crime,” she said.

The Masjid Tanah Member of Parliament also raised a long-standing issue: calling for Puteri UMNO members to be given automatic membership into Wanita UMNO as opposed to it being an option.

She also wants Puteri members to correct the perception that the wing was merely ‘window dressing’ but a serious movement hungry for opportunity.

On politics, Puteri UMNO plans to establish a ‘Biro Sahabat Puteri’ to attract the youth “without considering gender or race, from various backgrounds including NGOs as well as graduates.”

Mas Ermiyati believed that attracting youths would help Barisan Nasional perform better in the next general election.

Efforts to attract youths should include intensive studies conducted both online and on ground to identify issues closest to their hearts.