KUALA LUMPUR, September 12 2026, UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said people’s resilience must be strengthened as an important component of national defence in facing increasingly complex security threats.
Mohamed Khaled, who is also the Defence Minister, said this was important as national security threats were no longer conventional but had become hybrid in nature, combining conventional and non-conventional threats known as cognitive warfare.
“Cognitive warfare involves the use of planned strategies to influence how people think, assess information, make decisions and act.
“It is carried out systematically through misinformation, fake news or propaganda via digital platforms, exploitation of algorithms and psychological operations.
“Such cognitive warfare is highly dangerous as it can be used to the extent of eroding our identity, including as Malays, as well as triggering serious religious and racial conflicts,” he said at the winding-up session of the 2026 UMNO General Assembly (PAU26), here.
Mohamed Khaled said national resilience could not be achieved merely by having the most advanced assets or ensuring the readiness of military personnel, but also required the development of people’s resilience to serve as a strong bulwark and shield for the country against threats.
He said people’s resilience should be nurtured by strengthening patriotism and love for the country, as well as the ability to manage threats and challenges.
According to him, community leaders also have a role to play in building people’s resilience by prioritising unity and harmony, and not being easily influenced by propaganda aimed at dividing society.
“This is where UMNO, as a political party, can play a role. We must work together to contribute to efforts to build people’s resilience and, subsequently, national defence. We are not asking people to take up arms, but we want them to be nurtured with the right attitudes and values to manage threats,” he said.
In another development, Mohamed Khaled, who is also chairman of the UMNO Constitution and Rules Committee, said a decision on the proposal to raise the membership age limit for UMNO Puteri to 40 would be made after the next general election.
He said the matter needed to be considered comprehensively as any amendment would not only affect Puteri UMNO but also UMNO Wanita and the party as a whole.
“The party has decided, with the consent of the UMNO president, to make a decision on the proposal after the next general election,” he said.
-BERNAMA
