KUALA LUMPUR: Eighty-year-old Malay daily Utusan Malaysia should reconsider its decision to cease operations, said Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran.
He said the newspaper’s owners should find solutions to continue the company’s operation.
“If it is true they are shutting down, I am asking the employers to reconsider their decision. Utusan has been in the industry for a very long time. They should see whether other quarters can help and rehabilitate the company.
“I hope Utusan will reconsider (from shutting down),” he told a press conference at Parliament here today.
Kulasegaran said the staff would be able to seek assistance under the Employment Insurance Scheme (EIS), which would provide payment up to 80 per cent of a worker’s salary for a period of six months.
“The scheme will then look for job opportunities for them, set up job interviews, and conduct trainings, among others, which will all be covered by EIS,” he said.
On Oct 7, the newspaper’s publisher, Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd has sent out a circular to inform employees that its board of directors had approved the creditors’ voluntary liquidation and appointed UHY Advisory KL as its interim liquidator, ceasing an 80 years operation.
The Malay daily had been facing with financial crisis in past few years which resulted to two months unpaid wages to its staff.
Meanwhile, Umno Secretary General Tan Sri Annuar Musa admitted that Umno was not aware of the takeover of Utusan, but will look into the sudden closure of the newspaper.
“In business, this is normal. We will look into what this cease operation meant,” he said.
Yesterday, Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd in a stock exchange announcement said it would sell a 70 per cent stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary Dilof Sdn Bhd to Aurora Mulia Sdn Bhd.