UTUSAN Malaysia has told employees that it does not have the financial capacity to pay salaries, said Mohd Taufek Razak.

The Utusan Malaysia Union of Journalists branch chairman said the company’s inability to pay wages was conveyed to the union by Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd group executive chairman Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir at a meeting in Putrajaya today.

“The executive chairman told us that they can’t pay our salaries,” he told The Malaysian Insight as staff picketed in front of the Utusan office in Kuala Lumpur at noon.

The Malaysian Insight is made to understand that Aziz and the Utusan workers’ union were called to Industrial Relations Department director-general Khalid Jadi’s office for a meeting this morning.

The meeting discussed staff’s salaries, which have not been paid since June.

Taufek said Utusan risks being shut down if it fails to dispose of its assets to resolve its financial woes.

Most of the assets are difficult to sell as they do not have a certificate of fitness from the authorities, he said.

“At the meeting this morning, the management said they have no money to pay employees’ salaries, and have failed to sell off their assets.

“They also threatened to shut down the company due to a lack of funds.

“They said they will do so if they can’t find the money in a few weeks’ time. They want to close down operations, and don’t want to assume responsibility.

“Aziz is also helpless. He said he will step down as executive director.”

Shutting down Utusan would be “a slap to the face” of the Malay community, which has had the newspaper as “their voice” for 80 years, he said.

Taufek said he hopes Umno will intervene to help Utusan staff, given that the newspaper had served as the party’s official mouthpiece for a long time.

Umno recently sold its equity in the company to Aziz.

Some 100 employees participated in the picket today.

National Union of Journalists secretary-general Chin Sung Chew said those affected by Utusan’s money issues are journalists, photographers and graphic artists.

He said executive staff received only a total of RM2,000 for June, July and August.

“We want Umno to inject funds (into Utusan) for the sake of some 700 affected staff.

“We also want Umno to replace the management team, which has failed to run the company effectively.”

The picketing workers carried banners and placards that read “Where is our salary?”, “We love Utusan” and “Where is the Malay warrior?”.

Nik Hasmazi Hassan, who has worked with the newspaper for two decades, said the current challenge is the worst he has faced as an Utusan employee.

The 48-year-old said he has had to borrow money from others just to go to work. – August 19, 2019.