Utusan back in publication, vows 'credible, objective' reporting
The nation's oldest Malay language newspaper Utusan Malaysia, which ceased operation last year over financial problems, returned with the promise of truthful, credible and objective reporting.
Also returning to publication today is its sister publication Kosmo!, both under Media Mulia Sdn Bhd.
Utusan returned with the slogan Pemikiran Baharu (New Thinking) with its frontpage headline proclaiming "Bangkit Semula (Rise once more)" which leads to a report on Malaysia's ability to recover from an economic downturn due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In a message on Utusan’s return after nine months, Media Mulia group editor Mohamad Azlan Jaafar said...
The nation's oldest Malay language newspaper Utusan Malaysia, which ceased operation last year over financial problems, returned with the promise of truthful, credible and objective reporting.
Also returning to publication today is its sister publication Kosmo!, both under Media Mulia Sdn Bhd.
Utusan returned with the slogan Pemikiran Baharu (New Thinking) with its frontpage headline proclaiming "Bangkit Semula (Rise once more)" which leads to a report on Malaysia's ability to recover from an economic downturn due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In a message on Utusan’s return after nine months, Media Mulia group editor Mohamad Azlan Jaafar said the daily is now aiming to restore readers’ confidence with the dissemination of information that is “trustworthy and thought-provoking”.
“Credibility will be the backbone of the operations.”
Azlan wrote: “For many people, Utusan is an institution linked to history which began over eight decades ago... with push to free ourselves from the clutches of colonisers, a need for a channel to express the community’s feelings and a desire by the founders to prove the Malay journalistic integrity.
“The digital explosion, public’s perception, trust deficit, (as well as) failure to meet the needs of readers and balance commercial and editorial interests led to the end of this newspaper over nine months ago.
“...The people today want objective, accurate, truthful and fair reporting, whether from political, social or economic aspects... I ask readers to view each report as just a news report and not to analyse them (reports) from the lenses of whether they were influenced by any agenda, categorise them as pro-government or anti-government, or (if they) carry or tarnish any party.”
During the era of BN administration, prior to GE14, Utusan faced allegations of being a "political tool" of the ruling government. One of its majority shareholders had been Umno.
Kosmo!, meanwhile, retained its Suara Kontemporari (Contemporary Voice) tagline.
On the return of Kosmo! , Azlan said: "In the era of digitalisation and speed of information, change is necessary to fulfil readers’ needs and appetite.
“Nothing is static, even information. Readers always want what is new, relevant to their individual instincts, especially content that will make followers of this daily experts on the latest situations.”
Utusan was first published in Jawi in 1939 before it switched to romanised Malay in 1967.
The paper had been running at a loss since 2012. It closed on Oct 31, last year, after Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd’s then-executive chairperson Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir said the company was no longer solvent.
The financial quagmire saw dispute over unpaid salaries of its staff.
In November last year, former Pakatan Harapan entrepreneurship development minister Redzuan Yusof announced that Utusan would be relaunched early this year to help disseminate information on the then government’s policies.
Utusan last month teased its upcoming return in July.
Its website showed an animated teaser which read: "Await the unveiling (nantikan)... this July. Brought to you by Media Mulia Sdn Bhd."
Media Mulia is purportedly linked to tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, whose company Aurora Mulia owns shares in Media Prima Bhd.
Media Prima is also the parent company of the New Straits Times Press (NSTP).
Malaysiakini learnt at the time that Utusan's new office is based at the NSTP headquarters at Jalan Riong, Bangsar.
However, it was recently reported that Media Prima Bhd could end its lease agreement with Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) for the site, known as Balai Berita, due to cost-cutting measures.
"The move is part of Media Prima's cost-cutting measures, which will see NSTP relocate to its printing plant in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, at the end of the year or by the middle of next year.
“The ongoing renovation works on the second floor of the building (Balai Berita), which was originally meant for the new Utusan Group and The Malaysian Reserve, have also been ordered to stop following this new development," a source for The Edge Markets was quoted saying last week.
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