UTUSAN Melayu Bhd staff are urging Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir to return as executive chairman so that he can complete the task of turning the company – which is in a financial mess – around.

They said he is fully aware of the company’s situation, having put in place a rescue plan for Utusan last June.

Former senior editor Zaini Hassan said Aziz must return to resolve Utusan’s problems, especially those involving the management of the Umno-owned company.

“Let him finish what he started. He knows the problems affecting Utusan,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

It is learnt that Aziz has held a meeting with representatives of Utusan staff who left the company last month under a voluntary separation scheme (VSS).

Last week, the company defaulted on its first payment to some 700 who had taken the VSS offer, due to a lack of funds.

During the meeting, Aziz received a petition from current and former employees, urging him to return to head the company.

“About 300 signatures were collected in two days for the petition. We want Aziz to come back and solve the problems in Utusan.

“We hope he will reconsider our request. We met him for about 30 minutes,” said one employee.

The petition was handed over to Aziz by Aznan Bakar, editor of Utusan Online, who was at the headquarters for another meeting involving Aziz and the company’s department heads.

“This petition will also be given to Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan and Utusan board members,” said a source.

Meanwhile, National Union of Journalists secretary Basir Abu Bakar, who is also an Utusan reporter, said whoever helms the company must be committed to saving Utusan.

“It can be anyone as long they give 100% commitment to Utusan. They must also concentrate on the sale of assets so that the VSS payments and other outstanding payments can be made.

“This individual must focus on its digital business and newspapers, too.”

The Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that back-room discussions to bring Aziz back as executive chairman are ongoing, nearly a fortnight after his abrupt resignation from the post just as he was putting into action plans to downsize operations.

The former Kulim Bandar Baharu MP quit on December 13, citing personal business commitments. He accepted the appointment on June 7, two weeks after chairman Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh resigned, along with four directors.

Aziz’s resignation came around the same time Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s former press secretary, Ibrahim Yahya, was appointed Utusan Malaysia’s group editor.

Ibrahim himself resigned within a week, just after Zahid handed over his party duties to deputy Mohamad. – January 1, 2019.