NUJ confirms Utusan revival, job calls now open

The nation's oldest Malay language newspaper Utusan Malaysia, which was closed down last year over financial problems, is set to be revived in several months’ time.

The speculations are rife after the Utusan Online Facebook page posted two days ago that the newspaper company owners Media Mulia Sdn Bhd is seeking candidates to take up positions as editors, reporters, creative writers, and photographers.

Media Mulia is purportedly linked to tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, whose company Aurora Mulia owns shares in Media Prima Bhd.

NUJ-Utusan branch secretary Muhammad Bashir Abu Bakar, when contacted, confirmed that Utusan Malaysia may start its operation as early as May but there are no instructions yet for the former employees to return.

"The vacancies are open to all and former employees have been encouraged to apply, but there is no promise that they will be rehired.

"As far as I'm concerned, they have to go through the same interview process as other candidates," Bashir said, adding that three former Utusan Malaysia editors were tasked with structuring the publication.

Bashir said many former employees have re-applied to work with Utusan Malaysia at the new office which will be at the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) headquarters at Bangsar.

Media Prima owns NSTP, which publishes three national newspapers - Harian Metro, Berita Harian, and New Straits Times.

However, he noted that there will be stiff competition among candidates, notably former employees as the speculation is that the editorial is only hiring 40 reporters, 12 photographers, and 12 graphic artists, whose focus will be on the print edition.

For the record, Utusan Group had 815 employees before terminating their services on Oct 31 last year.

In Nov last year, the Entrepreneurship Development Minister Redzuan Yusof announced that Utusan will be relaunched in early 2020.

Utusan was first published in Jawi in 1939 before it switched to romanised Malay in 1967.

The paper has been running at a loss since 2012.

In October last year, the then Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd executive chairperson Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir said the company was no longer solvent and that brought the dismissal of all its employees.