KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Utusan Melayu posted a RM44.32-million net loss in the fourth quarter of 2014, nearly ten times the RM4.66 million it booked in the same period the year prior.

According to The Edge Markets, the publisher of Utusan Malaysia said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia that the higher losses were a result lower revenue and higher impairment charges on trade and other receivables.

Its income for the same period fell from RM89.92 million the year before to RM76.44 million.

The fourth quarter result meant the Umno-linked media house booked a full-year loss of RM80.9 million, versus RM16.21 million in losses registered for all of 2013.

“The group will continue to adopt prudent cost saving strategies in its business operations. Amongst others, the group is undertaking measures to reduce the return rate by employing efficient allocation of newspapers and magazine supplies,” Utusan Melayu said in its filing cited by The Edge Markets.

Utusan’s shares fell by half a sen today and ended at 67 sen.

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation Malaysia, the group’s flagship paper Utusan Malaysia had an average circulation of 171,633 from January to June in 2014, down from 191,302 in the same period the previous year

Other brands in the group’s stable include newspaper Kosmo! and magazines such as Wanita, Al-Islam, and Hijab Fesyen, among others.