Utusan promises to pay staff 'maximum RM2,000' advance tonight

Staff of the Utusan Melayu Group have been promised a "maximum RM2,000" salary advance tonight.

A memo issued by the group's human resources general manager Mohd Nazlan Osman said the payment would be based on what Utusan could afford.

"This payment will be deducted from the gross salary.

"May this advance payment help somewhat to reduce the financial burdens faced," Mohd Nazlan wrote.

The memo was released while Utusan's board of directors were in a meeting.

Staff from Utusan Malaysia and sister publication Kosmo have not been paid salaries for up to three months and have been informed that the group will cease its newspaper printing operations on Wednesday.

Former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak put the blame for this on the Pakatan Harapan government saying its freezing's of Umno's accounts rendered them unable to help Utusan.

Umno's funds were frozen as authorities said they had originated from Najib's bank account which in turn investigators claim were stolen from state-owned 1MDB.

The government is seeking to forfeit RM116 million from Umno.

In February, Umno sold its 31.61 percent stake in the Utusan Group to former Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir for RM6.65 million, representing a 65.2 percent premium.