KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Utusan Malaysia is paying the price for being an Umno mouthpiece for decades, said Jelutong MP RSN Rayer today.

In a statement, Rayer said Utusan, which is ceasing operations tomorrow, used to target Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders while operating with impunity as it was under the protection of the then-ruling government.

Now with Umno-backed Barisan Nasional (BN) out of power for the first time since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, the news agency has had to cease operations after failing to pay its employees’ wages and owing RM1.2 million to two banks.

Rayer sympathised with the employees and said they were not to blame for the situation; instead, it is the top brass and editors who should shoulder the blame. 

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“This newspaper has for the record not contributed any sweat to nation building and national integration since our independence,” said Rayer.

“However, I do sympathise with its employees who now face a future of uncertainty and I wish that the PH government would be able to assist all its employees by offering them alternative employment in respective government departments as these employees will all have families to support. 

“I also firmly believe that these employees are blameless as it was their top bosses and editors who were calling the shots under Umno.”

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Utusan Malaysia began operating before Malaysia’s independence in 1939. It was first published as Utusan Melayu, using the jawi medium, before the current Romanised version began publication on September 1, 1967.

Last year, the staff of newspapers Utusan and Kosmo! threatened to picket following a similar wage issue, but called it off after the management came up with an amicable solution.

Utusan Malaysia workers protest over unpaid salaries in front of Utusan headquarters in Kuala Lumpur August 19, 2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
Utusan Malaysia workers protest over unpaid salaries in front of Utusan headquarters in Kuala Lumpur August 19, 2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Following a rally yesterday, Utusan employees were told the company was going to cease operations and it’s last print edition would be tomorrow.

As of December 2018, approximately 800 employees accepted the voluntary separation scheme. However, their payments were also delayed.

Utusan’s current 800 employees have not been paid their wages for several months and despite picketing and rallying to call for those they backed previously to help them, nothing has been forthcoming.

Yesterday former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shared on social media that due to Umno’s accounts being frozen there was nothing he nor his constituents could do to alleviate the situation.

However Rayer said Utusan had in the past tarnished many reputations and spewed hateful and racist remarks all while under the protection of the government. 

Hence, it was now paying the price for it.

“Only a few years back this newspaper carried inflammatory headlines entitled “Apa lagi Cina mahu?” presumably backed by the once powerful and iron fisted warlords of Umno who had control over all institutions of government including the police thus encouraging the editors and writers of Utusan to frequently flaunt the law.

“It targeted PH leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) who were all forced to file numerous legal suits for defamation.

“This newspaper has only spewed racism, hate, divisive politics and bigotry and as the saying goes ‘what goes around comes around’ would apply aptly to Utusan in this regard,” he added.