MORE than 800 former employees of Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd are gearing up for a long wait for their August and September salaries and retrenchment compensation.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight following a meeting yesterday with the company liquidator, they said they did not know when they would be paid.

They said they were told to wait up to six months when the company had sold off all its assets and settled its debts.

“No mention was made as to when we will be paid. We were only given an estimation of six months,  after the sale of Utusan’s assets.

“We were given no clue at all to when this will happen, there was only rhetoric from them. Many of us are disappointed,” said a former employee.

Utusan officially ceased operations on October 9.

About 800 employees have been let go, 11 months after nearly 800 others agreed to leave by voluntary separation scheme (VSS). 

The group published Utusan Malaysia, Mingguan Malaysia, and Kosmo!.

The former employees met yesterday to vote on whether to continue using temporary liquidator UHY Advisory (KL) Sdn Bhd or to appoint a permanent liquidator.

Last week, a UHY Advisory spokesman from said the outstanding salaries and compensation claims for more than 800 former employees will only be paid out once the company has settled its debts with creditors.

Zulkarnain A. Rahim told the former staff in a briefing at Utusan headquarters that UHY Advisory would sell what assets it could by open tender, a process that would take at least five months.

He said the liquidator’s priority was to ensure that Utusan’s secured debt was settled first, with the balance used to pay the company’s arrears of salaries and compensation.

Employees who signed up for the VSS will only be paid once the company has paid for the termination of staff members.

The former workers yesterday also met with Utusan former executive director Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir.

Sources said the four-hour meeting was quite heated, with may lashing out at Aziz for not looking out for their welfare and wellbeing.

“Many were angry with what had happened, and he had failed to give us any assurance,” said a source. – November 7, 2019.