KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today reminded party leaders and members that the country's political landscape had evolved.
He urged them to embrace a shift to maintain the spirit of "islah," a term that denotes efforts to restore something to its proper, accurate, and appropriate state through peaceful means.
"I urge each of us to embody this shift, as outlined in my keynote speech yesterday. This transformation is vital to fostering the spirit of 'islah.'
"Malaysia today is shaped by Umno's policies during its 62 years in power. We once governed within the Perikatan or BN (Barisan Nasional) coalition. Umno crafted our national policies, and our resolutions were advanced by our delegates. This is the reality we face.
"However, the political scenario has changed. As we pursue this shift, we must also stay abreast of technological advancements. Embracing and utilising new technologies, particularly AI (Artificial Intelligence), is essential," he said.
In his winding-up speech at the Umno General Assembly 2024, Zahid, also deputy prime minister, said it was important to adapt to the new technological realities in politics.
"We live in a digital era marked by technological innovations. This is the new reality that we must embrace. We are fortunate that our Women, Youth, and Puteri leaders have already adopted digital technology," he added.
Zahid also pointed out that current societal conditions demanded Umno to plan for social changes to build a more inclusive Malaysian nation that transcends ethnic, religious, and cultural boundaries.
"A social shift involves changes in norms, values, and social practices towards improvement, guiding us to ensure Umno aligns with the aspirations for social justice," he said.
Addressing various social and criminal issues, Zahid said that Umno must adopt new approaches and engage with the community effectively.
He called for Umno's wings to play a role in addressing social issues, such as cyberbullying, child negligence, premarital sex and domestic violence.
Such cases, he said, had been tremendously increasing in the country in the last 10 years.
"We have seen a cyberbullying case that led to the death of social media influencer A. Rajeshwary, known as Esha recently.
"There are also increasing road accidents, where 90 per cent of those involved in and died were Malay children, with the mortality rate for those riding motorcycles increasing among children as young as 13.
"I would like the wings to put more focus on these social issues that have never happened before."
As Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Zahid also approved the implementation of the Mara Women Empowerment Programme.
He also announced that a proposal to raise the age limit for Puteri Umno from 35 to 40 years would be presented to the party's management committee and the Supreme Council.
For the Orang Asli community, Zahid acknowledged their significant contributions nationwide and announced the appointment of Cameron Highlands member of parliament Datuk Ramli Mohd Noor as a Supreme Council member.
He also revealed the formation of a committee to monitor the performance of Youth representatives, led by the wing's secretary, with all Umno representatives to be overseen by a committee chaired by the party secretary-general.
Zahid also instructed the Defence Ministry to ensure that bullying incidents at the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) would not recur.
He said the bullying incident which took the life of former navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain in 2017 should have never happened in the first place.