KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants party members to champion pressing social concerns like bullying in schools, just like in its past in an effort to make their brand relevant again.

He held up the 2017 case of 20-year-old naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain who was tortured to death by his peers at the National Defence University (UPNM) as an example.

"Seven years ago we were shocked by an incident of bullying of a student at UPNM that caused his death. It shouldn't happen,” Zahid said in closing this year's Umno general assembly this evening.

Turning to Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Khalid Nordin who is also defence minister, Zahid said "make sure there are no more cases of bullying in UPNM”.

Zahid said bullying cases were just the tip of the iceberg and that there were many "heartbreaking” social concerns every day with brutal murders cropping up more frequently in the news.

"For that we must come up with an approach, be kind to the community and implement programs that the Malays want, the people will see Umno again as a party that comes forward to find a solution,” he said.