Give Utusan employees govt jobs, says DAP MP

Some of the current and former employees of Utusan Melayu Bhd during a protest yesterday, claiming the company had failed to pay them their wages for one-and-a-half months.

PETALING JAYA: A DAP lawmaker has suggested that Utusan Malaysia’s workers be offered “alternative employment” with the government in the wake of the news organisation’s impending shutdown.

Jelutong MP RSN Rayer said that despite the group’s history of “racism, hate, divisive politics, and bigotry”, he sympathised with the employees who had families to support.

“This newspaper has not contributed any sweat to nation-building and national integration since our independence,” he claimed in a statement today.

“However, I do sympathise with its employees who now face a future of uncertainty.

“I believe that these employees are blameless as it was their top bosses and editors who were calling the shots under Umno.”

Rayer pointed to headlines he alleged were inflammatory that the newspaper had published and said that it frequently used to target Pakatan Harapan’s leaders like Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng, and DAP.

It was reported today that after 80 years, Utusan Malaysia may finally be rolling out its final print edition tomorrow.

Nearly 100 current and former employees of the company, Utusan Melayu Bhd,  demonstrated in front of the daily’s main office yesterday, claiming the company had failed to pay them their wages for one-and-a-half months now. - FMT