Utusan readers upset over paper's closure

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10  – Used to reading it everyday to keep up with local and international news, fans of Utusan Malaysia, the oldest Malay newspaper in the country, say they will miss the newspaper.

Most say they were sad with the closure of the the company Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd due to financial problems as the newspaper had existed for 80 years.

Muhammad Nor Dolmat, 56, from Kampung Baru here said he was disappointed with the closure with end of operations for Utusan Malaysia which was his main source of information about local and international news.

“I am shocked and disappointed, because we have been getting news and information from the newspaper for a long time, suddenly it stops and there is no final decision given to the readers and staff,” he told Bernama here today.

Muhammad Nor, a staff of Masjid Jamek in Kampung Baru, said he usually read the newspaper every morning at the mosque and would miss it.

Meanwhile, civil servant Azhari Zainal Abidin, 38, from Setapak said he was surprised with the news of the closure of Utusan Malaysia and hoped the newspaper would be revived.

“I did not expect this to happen as it is the oldest newspaper in the country. If the government can help, I hope it does,” he said.

A convenience store employee in Kampung Baru, Nur Syahirah, 25, said early customers who usually stopped to buy Utusan Malaysia and its sister paper, Kosmo, were disappointed with the closure of the company.

An avid reader of the newspaper herself, Nur Syahirah said she would always check the job advertisements and  ‘Senyum Kambing’ every day.

The closure of the company came after it faced financial problems caused by declining sales and advertising revenue.

                -- BERNAMA