Sarawak English tabloid, Malaysian Today , which has been in circulation over the past four years, will cease publication in the state after Dec 31.

Its owners have yet to make an official announcement but its 75 employees were notified last Friday that the publication is moving to Kuala Lumpur.

However, it is likely that the daily will resume publication as a daily newspaper. According to sources, it could re-emerge as a magazine, perhaps with special focus on sports.

Malaysian Today - which has a small circulation of a few thousands copies - is linked to Sarawak businessman-cum-politician Sng Chee Hua.

The staff were informed of the closure by Sng's daughter and company chairperson Jessie.

She had taken over from her 24-year-old brother Larry, the Pelagus state assemblyperson, after he was appointed state assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Office recently.

Political consideration

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an editorial staff said today that the decision must have been made recently as none of them had any prior knowledge about it.

A source close with the newspaper said one possible reason for the closure could be the company's cash-flow position.

"There was a political consideration for Malaysian Today , and that the paper might now be seen as having outlived its usefulness now."

It is learnt that the staff were told that the company would pay them retrenchment pay equivalent to 15 days salary for every completed year of service.

"We are of course not happy with the package. We are not questioning the company's right to cease publication. But we would expect, as is normally practiced, for the company to pay at least one-month pay for every completed year of service," said one of them.

It is understood that the owners have offered to take a few of the staff for posting to Kuala Lumpur.

Mouthpiece for Masing

Malaysian Today served as the mouthpiece for the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) faction led by Dr James Masing during a protracted leadership struggle. Sng was deputy leader in the Masing faction.

With the demise of PBDS, the registration of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), which is temporarily headed by a strong Sng supporter Sidi Munan and with his son's appointment as an assistant state minister, Sng probably sees less need for a paper of his own in the state.

With Malaysian Today's departure from the local scene, the state will only have two English dailies left - Sarawak Tribune , owned by a company closely linked to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and The Borneo Post .