KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The publisher and chief executive of The Edge Media Group, Ho Kay Tat, reassured employees tonight that their jobs will not be affected by the Home Ministry’s suspension of two of the group’s newspapers.
Ho said operations at the newspapers will run as usual and all staff will be paid in full despite the three-month ban that begins on Monday.
“I met the staff today to explain what we are going to do; they will all continue to receive full pay during the suspension.
“We assured the staff, they’ll be paid in full. From a business point of view, we will make sure business stays as usual” he told reporters after a town hall meeting with the staff today.
Ho added that the previous The Edge weekly was their last and the printing tomorrow will be cancelled as it is meant for next week when their ban has come into effect.
“The last issue is gone already. Because though it comes out on Saturday, the issue is dated for Monday. So there will be no issue for the weekly and the financial weekly,” he explained.
Ho today said he was also pleased with the employees’ response to the grim news, saying they appeared to be receiving it with good humour.
“I walked in, they clapped. I asked them, ‘You clap because you think you’re going on three months’ holiday, is it?’ I told them, work will continue,” Ho added with a laugh.
Earlier this afternoon, the CEO of The Edge Media Group announced that the Home Ministry has suspended the printing permits of its two flagship publications for three months starting next Monday, with a possible revocation of the licences if it does not comply.
Citing a Home Ministry letter, Ho said the ministry stated that the two publications’ reporting of 1MDB were “prejudicial or likely to be prejudicial to public order, security or likely to alarm public opinion or is likely to be prejudicial to public and national interest”.
