Umno-linked Utusan Malaysia newspaper shuts down after 80 years
- Unable to overcome its financial problems, the Malay-language publication has seen its fortunes sag in tandem with those of its political benefactor
- The company which now controls its government-issued publishing licence has ties to Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, one of Malaysia’s richest men
Utusan Malaysia, the 80-year-old Malay-language newspaper with close ties to the country’s former ruling party, on Wednesday said it was immediately ceasing operations after failing to find a way out of its financial problems.
The closure of the Utusan Group – Utusan Malaysia’s parent company, which also publishes the newspaper Kosmo! – brings to an end the broadsheet’s storied history, which dates back to its 1939 founding in Singapore.
Originally called Utusan Melayu, the newspaper was founded by Yusof Ishak, who would later go on to become Singapore’s first president, and Abdul Rahim Kajai – often referred to as the “father of Malay journalism”.
Local media reported that the newspaper’s employees were asked to clear their desks, return their access cards and vacate the office by 1pm on Wednesday.
In a statement, executive chairman Abd. Aziz Sheikh Fadzir said the board of directors was of the view that “the company is no longer solvent to continue business”.
Often accused of stoking divisive racial sentiment and being biased in favour of Umno, Utusan Malaysia was at one time boycotted by states run by the then opposition bloc – now in power – and viewed as the Malay-dominated establishment’s de facto mouthpiece.