page_title: Utusan Malaysia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Utusan Malaysia / History
caption_attribution_description: Bahasa Melayu: Logo Utusan Malaysia English: The Utusan Malaysia logo
context_page_description: Utusan Malaysia is a Malay-language newspaper published in Malaysia. Formerly owned by the Utusan Group, the newspaper is currently under ownership of Media Mulia.
  Distinctive for its blue masthead as its logo and trademark, Utusan Malaysia is the oldest Malay-language newspaper in Malaysia and the world. It was first published in Jawi in 1939 and became an influential medium for the people to voice out their opinions towards the ruling of the British Government in Malaya. Since 2018, the newspaper shifting its size from broadsheet to tabloid format.
  In recent years, Utusan Malaysia has undergone the most critical business period with its daily circulation and readership continues to declined as well as its former parent company's cash flow began to deteriorated. Despite initial reports that the newspaper and its sister papers Mingguan Malaysia, Kosmo!, and Kosmo! Ahad would be shutting down in mid-August 2019, the newspaper's publisher Utusan Group announced that they would continue publishing after receiving a RM$1.6 million cash injection from the United Malays National Organisation.
context_section_description: Utusan Malaysia traced its roots to 1939 when it was first published as Utusan Melayu, with its address at Queen Street, Singapore. It was founded by Yusof Ishak, who later became the first President of Singapore, and Abdul Rahim Kajai, dubbed the father of Malay journalism. It temporarily suspended publication during the Japanese occupation of Malaya and Singapore. The newspaper moved its headquarters to Cecil Street, Singapore in 1945, and in 1959 relocated to Kuala Lumpur.
  Utusan Malaysia started publication on 1 September 1967, being a romanised version for Utusan Melayu and daily edition of Mingguan Malaysia. Mingguan Malaysia published 2 years earlier, on 30 August 1964.
  In 1997, the Group made its entry into the world of multimedia with the launch of "Utusan Malaysia Online" (or simply "Utusan Online"), Malaysia's first online newspaper in full text and visuals. The service provided, in collaboration with Telekom Malaysia, enables pay-subscribers to read exact replicas of the Group's newspapers, including Utusan Malaysia. On 2 July 2001, "Utusan Education Portal" (Portal Pendidikan Utusan) was launched. The free service has received recognition from MIMOS (the "Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems") as one of the top five education websites in Malaysia in 2001.
  On September 16, 2018, to coincide with 55th anniversary of Malaysia's formation, Utusan Malaysia and its Sunday edition Mingguan Malaysia shifted from broadsheet to tabloid format. Utusan reportedly said the change in size was part of their effort to fulfil the needs and taste of their readers.
  On February 8, 2019, Utusan is no longer under direct ownership by UMNO after 31.6 per cent stake of its parent company was acquired by Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir.
  On 19 August 2019, the Utusan Group announced that Utusan Malaysia, its Sunday paper Mingguan Malaysia, and its sister papers Kosmo! and Kosmo! Ahad would cease their print editions on 21 August 2019 due to the company's financial woes and bankruptcy. Utusan Malaysia will continue its online operations. The decline of Utusan Malaysia's readership and poor financial performance has been attributed by some to its pro-Barisan Nasional and Malay nationalist standpoint. Despite initial reports that the Utusan Malaysia would be shutting down, the Utusan Group reversed their decision after receiving a RM1.6 million cash injection from the United Malays National Organisation. To cover costs, the newspaper's price will be raised by 50 sen to RM 1.50 and Mingguan Malaysia's price would be raised to RM 2.00 beginning 23 August 2019.
  In spite of the financial injection, Utusan Malaysia and its sister papers continued to suffer losses and mounting debt from decreasing circulations, and it finally shuttered on 9 October 2019. On 10 October 2019, it was reported that the Utusan Group's newspapers would resume publication on 1 November 2019; however, the anticipated publication did not take place. Aurora Mulia, a company linked to business tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, had reportedly acquired a 70% stake in Utusan's wholly owned subsidiary Dilof Sdn Bhd. However, only some of Utusan's 862 retrenched employees would be re-hired by the new management.
  In January 2020, it was reported that Utusan Malaysia, along with its sister newspaper, Kosmo! is set to be revived soon, as some sources in the industry confirming that newspaper’s new management has recruiting staff to start working in February. The newspaper is initially expected to relaunched in April 2020, but it also did not take place.
  Utusan, together with Kosmo! is expected to be relaunched on July 2020. According to their website, an animated teaser, which written in Malay showed: "Nantikan Julai ini. Dibawakan oleh Media Mulia Sdn Bhd." ("Awaiting this July. Brought to you by Media Mulia Sdn Bhd,"). It is understood that the new headquarters of the publication will be based at the New Straits Times Press main office at Jalan Riong, Bangsar. On July 6, it was reported that the newspaper's relaunch is expected to take place on July 20,, and the newspaper were
caption: Eleventh logo of Utusan Malaysia, used from 16 September 2018 until 9 October 2019.
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