The Malaysian Insight

IT GAVE them their first job. It was where they found love and married.

For former and current staff of the newspapers Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo! the company’s demise today is heart-breaking, as they recount how much it was a part of their lives.

“For 39 years, I was with Utusan Malaysia. It was part of my life, I even met the woman I married here.

“Having to witness the company to shut down is heart-breaking, said Abdul Rahim Mat Ribu, a former employee who joined in 1974 and retired in 2013.

Rahim was part of the advertising team at the country’s oldest Malay daily, formed in the 1930s.

He said it gave him a sense of pride and camaraderie to have worked with what was then the leading publication.

“Back then, we were all one family. I remember one time during an election, we bought a cow and we cooked it right in front of the main entrance of the old office.

“It was to celebrate the election. It was like a festive season and everyone from the top bosses to senior and junior writers joined in.

“There was also one time we organised a small picket to demand higher salaries and the next day, we got what we demanded.

“It was something that I can never forget. Many of my colleagues have passed away and I am sure if they are still around, they would be really sad to hear the news,” Rahim said when met outside of the Utusan Malaysia building today.

Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd announced its immediate shut down today, with no more publications for the indefinite future.

More than 800 employees have been laid off, effective October 31.

Workers are technically on a month’s leave until the end of October, when another briefing will be held to inform them of the final decision as to their fates.

Some may be offered jobs at the new company, Dilof Sdn Bhd, that had earlier obtained permits to print Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo!

Like other former staff, Rahim turned up at the paper’s head office in Kuala Lumpur this morning to await the news.

He said many of his colleagues met their future spouses in Utusan, as they worked long hours and had no time to “look for girls”.

“I met my love of my life here. We worked from morning till late at night.

“Not just me, many of us got married to our own colleagues. We are all like a small family,” he said.

He believed that Utusan Malaysia would continue to exist if the company had a better management, adding that former staff and the paper’s veterans club had tried to help.

Hasif Idris, who has worked with Utusan for the past three years, said he felt that staff were loyal to the company despite not being paid for months.

“We even came to work when we were not getting a single sen from the company,” said the journalist.

“We only knew about the situation yesterday. It is sad and frustrating.

“We will have to wait and see what there is for us at the end of October.”

Hasif said despite not getting paid, the mood in the newsroom had been jovial.

“We came to work and at the same time we were broke. Some would bring food from home and everyone would share it.

“Whatever the problems, I enjoyed my time here. The people here are a part of me.

“It’s a shame the company management didn’t tell us personally about the closure,” Hasif added.

The management earlier today announced the shut down in an internal memo to staff.

The decision was made as Utusan was no longer able to shoulder its debts accumulated over the years, estimated at between RM240 million and RM340 million.

Utusan Malaysia National Union of Journalists chairman Taufek Razak in a press conference later said that staff felt confused as they had no chance to ask questions and receive an explanation about their future.

The paper, founded in Singapore, was influential during Malaya’s pre-Independence days in carrying views about British rule.

In more recent history, under the ownership of ruling Malay party Umno, it has been criticised for taking an extreme pro-Malay stance to the unease of other ethnic groups in the country.

Another veteran of the paper, Azman Ibrahim, said that he felt heartbroken when told about the company’s fate.

“We are all shocked. This morning we were told to pack our things. How do we look for jobs now?

“It is not that easy,” said the father of two who has worked with the paper for 18 years.

One man who declined to be named appeared to be too sad to speak when approached at the paper’s head office today.

“I woke up and just realised that I am out of job,” was all he could say. – October 9, 2019.