Top magazine publisher shutters operations, 180 jobless as 19 publications fold

Staff at Blu Inc Media received a memo from their CEO Azliza Tajuddin announcing that the firm is ending its print and digital publications today.

According to its website, Blu Inc is responsible for 19 publications including Cleo, Female, Her World, Harper's Bazaar, Jelita and Marie Claire.

It is estimated that 180 staff lost their jobs.

The memo quoted Azliza as saying: "With the current movement control order (MCO) to contain Covid-19, losses (have) continued even more for March and April, and this trend is expected to continue for the next few months. It is uncertain that we will be able to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

"As such, it is with a heavy heart that the board of directors decided to cease the operations of Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd with effect from April 30, 2020, which will include cessation of all its print and digital publications."

A source, who has spent more than 10 years with the company, said she received the memo through email at 11am.

"It wasn't a total surprise as I had been expecting some titles to close. What was shocking was to get it during the MCO and what's more to have it dated April 30, and have the closure take effect on the same day."

The source, who has been working from home since March 18, said the company had called for a town hall meeting in February and offered a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) to employees.

"Apparently, 43 were approved but on March 17, the heads of departments (HODs) were told that the VSS offer has been terminated even if some had received letters stating that the VSS has been approved," she added.

The source also said employees were notified that they would receive their full salary for April but there would be extensive cuts for May-July.

The salary cuts ranged from 30 percent (to those earning less than RM5,000) to 60 percent (for those earning above RM10,000).

"The HODs were also asked to end the services of all unconfirmed and contract staff," added the source.

Another source, who left Blu Inc in January, told Malaysiakini her ex-colleagues are "distraught, shell-shocked and angry" over the bombshell.

"No one knew up to the point of receiving the email and they are all upset at the moment," she said.

Malaysiakini is contacting Blu Inc for comment. 

This is the latest closure to hit the media after The Edge Financial Daily announced on April 21 that it would cease publication of its daily paper after a 13-year run.

Yesterday, Chinese-language newspaper Oriental Daily announced it would only be printing on weekdays from May 1 onwards and would reduce its newsstand price from RM1.20 to 60 sen.

In October last year, Utusan Malaysia officially ceased operations 80 years after the Malay daily was first published. It began as Utusan Melayu in Jawi in 1939.

Utusan was the third long-standing daily paper to close after Tamil Nesan (1924-2019) and the print edition of the Malay Mail (1896-2018) ceased publications within 10 months.

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