KUALA LUMPUR - THE New Straits Times and Utusan Melayu, two of Malaysia's oldest media groups, will be merged in a corporate union that will establish the country's largest media grouping.Update, 7.45pm: Meanwhile, on that other proposed merger by Synergy Drive to create the world's largest oil palm company, Nazir Razak promised that everything about the RM31 billion deal will be transparent. [Read the Bernama's piece here from this morning's press conference].
And from Malaysiakini: Umno to rule the media
ADOI - DAPAT FREE SMS: Umno's NSTP and Utusan Melayu will merge to form largest media grouping, with a combined circulation of 800,000 copies daily!
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding me. No. NST & Utusan Melayu cannot merge!!!
ReplyDeleteThats the end of journalism in this country. The nation's number English paper (at one time), with a proud heritage is finished.
ReplyDeleteHow can this merger take place. It is disaster, the end of freedom of the speech.
Utusan is such a rotten paper as far as its race relations record is concerned.
It should have been closed down long ago for its hatred building stories.
And Najib DPM says "you can criticise us". With this merger,
the end of the world has come for Malaysian journalism. Who will criticise UmnoPuteras.
Political fingering has again led to this.
What about the staff. Another VSS ala Kali style??
MBB
Bru,
ReplyDeleteBaguslah, another VSS for NSTP staffs and Utusan Malaysia also. Jadinya, hanya perlu satu akhbar broadsheet untuk akhbar Melayu, mana bisa dua akhbar bersaing. Lagi pun, takut-takut dua-dua tak laku. Disyorkan di sini supaya akhbar baru itu dinamakan UMBEHA.
Harian Metro dengan Kosmo pula dijadikan satu dan nama barunya, HAMETKOS.
Ramai tak faham kut. Tapi, selama ni, siapa yang faham pun.
orang lama, you are right when you posted the following.===================================Orang lama said... Market talk is NST going to merge with Utusan. Heard of this? Prices of both drawing buying interest in the stock market. 9:20 AM =================================
ReplyDelete(Rocky's note: Orang Lama sounded the alert under my previous posting "Assistant General Manager?")
A point of clerification. Utusan Melayu Berhad is controlled by Umno. NSTP belongs to Umno President. Chairman of Realmild, the ultimate holding company, is only a proxy. The PM is the beneficial owner of NSTP via Realmild/Prima Media.
ReplyDeleteUmno "institutionalised" Utusan ownership in the name of Umno Treasurer when the company was almost lost to indivuduals under the old proxy system which is now operational in the case of NSTP.
The merger may either "institutionalise" NSTP's controlling-ownership under Umno Treasurer (like Utusan) thereby saving from falling into the hands of individualstn or it may "deinstitutionalise" Utusan.
The merger is the handy work of Pak Lah and his 4th Floor adivers who have been concetrating media control in the hands of Utusan and Realmild/Media Prima and giving monopoly power to a few Abdullah's henchmen like Kallimullah Hassan, Datuk Mutalib and Tan Sri Hashim Makaruddin.
But the merger may not work in Umno's favour. There will the psychological resitence by the readers who are already suspicious of newspapers belonging to both groups. There could be another round of rejection of these papers similar to 1998 when Anwar was sacked, arrested and tried.
Businesswise, it'll reduce competition and the consumers may lose. But it may also lead to wasteful competition because both groups will be competing for same readers and advertisers.
In the final analysis, the current administration's talk about freedom, transparency and openess will continue to be doubted when the media is concentrated in the hands of a few people.
Corporatewise, the recent low prices of NSTP and Utusan shares could be an act of deliberate market manipulation to enable the merger to be carried out cheaply. It is also possible that the combined group will fall into the hands of individuals instead of remaining Umno assets.
Bru,
ReplyDeleteIS it true that Zam, the Lee Kuan Yew lover and the Mahathir Mohamad hater is being made Tokoh Kewartawanan Malaysia by MPI?
PS. Budak Berita tu newsboy.
Hairan tu curious. Bukan nak sindir Berita Harian walaupun sekarang ni banyak berita yang menghairankan.
Wow!
ReplyDeleteWho can help the everyday Mad, Ah Chong and Muthu protect the following:
1 Assurance that as citizen we will continue to get a reasonable freedom in receiving information locally and globally
2 That the media will be a healthy and effective channel to build public image of the Country and Malaysia society
3 That the mergers will ensure reasonableness in price of information
4 That the mergers will ensure Malaysia can rely on the influencial media to educate and mold a healthy citizen group and a good environment with our own acceptable morale standards.
Someone, pls tell me who from the government should be coming forth to ensure the above is being carefully considered before the signatures are penned.
When the Chinese are fighting ownership concentration of Chinese Newspapers, what are the Malayus doing about Umnonization a.k.a Abdullahnization of the Malay and English media?
ReplyDeleteNothing, I guess. That's why I am ashamed being a Melayu.
When Utusan and NST merged, buy only one paper, Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian. Save money.
Kalli must have a hand in this. This is the Singapore Press Holdings format. The LKY-type of media monopoly.
a merged NSTP/Utusan group is going to screw up Utusan(NST's so screwed up it won't matter)...
ReplyDeleteYou have to give credit to Utusan...a totally Malay publication has managed to survive all these years and profited considering the limitations i.e. ad revenue etc...
some say our dr ling liong sik "falls" because of his action buyover nanyang through mca........i respect chinese people for not letting their paper/news controlled by politician/gov easily......again....the same scenario happen to our honor malay newspaper........but will malay fight for it...will malay do the same chinese people do to tun dr ling.......hm...let c if our malay have the guts........
ReplyDeletehmm......from my comment earlier...i should say....let see if malays people do care and most of it..if malay leaders have the guts or they only capable of doing "yesman" role...
ReplyDeletep/s: dear malays leader...please think, please care, please be wise....think about our people future......dont only think about your ownself...don be selfish...please...
i think this merger is just a ploy to save the already sinking ship of Kali (NST group). Gone are the proud days of NST when it was the paper of choice for everyone. Like its image, it shrank in size and in prestige and honour. Now merging with Utusan, it will begin its slow decline into something of a dinosaur.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese paper is already monopolised by one party. The UMNO papers now monopolise NST and Utusan papers. Vincent owns the other.
Lets all just don't buy newspapers anymore. At least we'll save some trees don't you think?
cucuparit
These mega mergers are perhaps indications that the current administration are phasing in their election agenda.
ReplyDeletea)Shoring up their war chest for disbursement to and garner support from strategic individuals and/or groups.
b)Identify and home in on the biggest cash-cow available in the market and if it happens to be government controlled, better still. Politically appointed CEOs are dispensable.
c)Secure and tighten up the mainstream media to ensure that only the 'right' news on these mergers goes public. In other words, no dissenting views are allowed and/or embedded 'reporters' will be used to project the so-called viability of these transactions.
d)With both the major print and electronic media under its ambit (armpit-sic), the AAB government will start a new 'charming/demonising' salvo in the run-up to the next GE.
e)Alternative media like blogspots will remain a thorn to their plans, hence, there has been two recent references on its supposedly lack of credibility in the NST editorial and by NTR.
So, Rocky. Are you ready to 'fight the good fight'? The battle begins and you'll need all the help you can muster. As Clark Gable mentioned in an earlier post, we need to stay focus on the issues, gather intelligence and keep harping (reminding readers) on the relevant matters. Furthermore, will a Bloggers Anonymous (acronym - B.A.) be of any help?
P.S. Where's Pasquale?
Dear Rocky,
ReplyDeleteQuote:
"PERWAKILAN Perhimpunan Agung UMNO 2006 tidak menyentuh langsung sikap ‘Melayu malas’ yang sepatutnya turut diberi perhatian. Akibatnya Melayu akan terus ‘malas’....."
When I read the above article in Utusan Malaysia 24/11/06, I am compelled to write what I honestly and truly believed: That Malay is as hardworking and enterprising as the Chinese or the Indian. In fact I would even venture further by suggesting that Malay traders are generally more honest and courteous! Just look at the honest Malay traders selling nasi lemak, burger, kueh mueh, goreng pisang by the roadside, how many of you have ever experienced a rude seller or dishonest one? They brave the rain and the sun, day in day out, sometimes standing there more than 12 hours a day just to make what the UMNOputras make in seconds. They have to play cat and mouse game with the enforcement officers from the council just like anybody or risk having their goods confiscated. These are ordinary people like you and me, some without the benefit of higher education or skill, but they earn their honest keeps and are happy.
It's the boys in the 4th floor and their cronies who are malas, for they never have to work for their money. They pillage and steal and rape the economy all in the name of the NEP.
Somebody, please stop NST & Utusan from being merged.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad state of affairs.
ReplyDeletesadsfsdf
ReplyDeletefunny video about pak lah and his gang, sung by krusty the clown from simpsons cartoon
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpDvBwmmmIE
I think this is good news. This will accelerate their demise and eventual cremation.
ReplyDeleteWonder how many journalists will loose their jobs and the "surat khabar lama" man will have less trash to collect.
Shar, I agree with you.
ReplyDelete2008 Election ammunition is being built up by the BN government.
Ammunition One
Sime, Guthrie, Golden Hope....what Hope is left??? (And those who left NST to join it......get ready to take your VSS) all merged into one billions of dollars entity (Read Star Online today for latest).
Ammunition Two :
Ops Muzzle Media - Takeover and Buyover.
Merge them. After all, the layman still will listen to the donkey state assemblymen and MPS who will hoodwink the electorate into voting them.
Of course, such a media conglomerate will ensure this through biased reporting.
The best tool to hoodwink people would be a single controlled media group, such as Media Prima and a powerful print media. In this way, the politics of fear (May 13 remindedto the people) will serve its purpose.
So the proposed merger of Utusan and NST.
And which company did you say is behind it.
Did I hear Synergy Indrive or Synergy Media Drive??
Everyone should just be Net savy and stop relying on the Damned Papers!
ReplyDeleteI hope that people stop buying those newspapers. Blatantly one-sided. It will be great if Both papers fail, it will save some of our beautiful rainforests from being used to spout barisan crap.
ReplyDeleteRocky bro,
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your readers that this merger was to save Kalimullah from all the embarrasment because the NST has gone down the drain - so to speak!
With the editorial policy and its chief is a plagiarist (Brendan P), what do you expects? Of course, down the drain!!!
great...now they rename the porn championing paper melayu mail...
ReplyDeletefrom a business stand point, how does this stand to benefit the nstp and kumpulan utusan?
very sad for nstp to roll over and play dead after all these years.
Nazir Razak said everything about the deal will be transparent... can he start by revealing who are actually behind Synergy Drive Sdn Bhd. The registered directors are nobody in the corporate sector. To imply that a less-than-one month old company with a bunch of nobodies on its Board of Directors, can approach and propose a merger to the Boards of three giants is like saying a pasar malam peddler meeting the president of Citibank to apply for a business loan to open up a mega manufacturing plant. He couldn't get pass the guard at the building's main entrance, let alone have an appointment with the President.
ReplyDeletePNB is not in the picture. All the three CEOs have been uncannily very quiet. Are the majority shareholders of the three groups on the ball? Something smells very fishy to me.
So Nazir, in the name of transparency, can you please enlighten us?
rencana di bawah ini dipetik dari:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mykmu.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5572&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
PENGABUNGAN 3 KONGLOMERAT PERLADANGAN MILIK MELAYU: WAJARKAH?
by BigGuyDotCom
Tuesday, November 28 @ 00:00:00 EST
Lewat ini, timbul cakap-cakap, kemudian pengumuman bahawa 3 konglomerat perladangan, yang menjadi tunjang kekuatan ekonomi orang orang Melayu, menabung berdikit dikit melalui skim ASN dan ASB, dibawah PNB, akan disatukan menjadi satu keluarga konglomerat perladangan Mega Gergasi.
Sime Darby, Kumpulan Guthrie dan Golden Hope, diantaranya mempunyai 8 buah kumpulan tersenarai diBursa Malaysia iaitu Sime Darby, Consplant, Sime UEP, Sime Engineering, Guthrie, Guthrie Ropel, Highland & Lowlands dan Negara Properties.
Cadangan ini dimajukan oleh Synergy Drive Sdn. Bhd., sebuah syarikat SPV kelahiran Kumpulan CIMB. Dalam sidang medianya petang tadi, CEO CIMB Dato' Nazir Razak mengatakan rasional mengadakan exercise ini adalah untuk 'sinergi keseluruhan kekuatan perladangan' dibawah pelaburan PNB, yang mempunyai 600 ribu hektar tanah, bernilai pasaran melebihi RM 31 billion. 'Pertambahan nilai' dan 'pengurangan kos operasi/peningkatan keuntungan' merupakan dua lagi sebab pengabungan ini berlaku. Dijangkakan proses ini akan hanya lengkap akhir suku 4 tahun hadapan. Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Othman, CEO PNB menegaskan bahawa pihak PNB belum lagi melihat sebarang cadangan dan PNB sebagai pelabur mengambil kedudukan bahawa isu isu cadangan ini diselesaikan diperingkat syarikat dahulu, sebelum ditimbangkan oleh PNB. Nazir juga menyebut, 45% dari saham saham Synergy Drive Sdn. Bhd., syarikat pelabur utama selepas pengabungan, akan ditawarkan kepada PNB pada premium RM 5.25 sesaham.
Persoalan yang bermain diminda hampir semua penganalisa pasaran modal dan kewangan ialah siapa yang menerajui konglomerat Mega Gergasi ini, selepas exercise ini? Ramai juga yang membuat telahan bahawa exercise pegabungan ini akan menyebabkan ramai eksekutif dan professional Melayu dalam kesemua syarikat dibawah exercise ini akan hilang kedudukan, apabila program "rationalisation", yang biasanya berlaku sepanjang exercise sedemikian, berperingkat.
Apakah perlu diadakan exercise ini, sedangkan sistem yang PNB ujudkan dalam kesemua 3 Kumpulan ini berhasil memberikan pulangan lumayan kepada pemegang pemegang saham dan illustrasi jelasnya pada dividen dividen dan bonus ASB dan ASN yang dibayar sepanjang 25 tahun ini, kepada lebih 6 juta pelabur Bumiputra. Apakah hak hak menjaga kepentingan pelabur pelabur Melayu akan diambil kira dalam exercise ini?
Ada cakap cakap dari pasaran modal exercise ini amat diperlukan kerana kesan pengurusan kewangan Kumpulan Guthrie dibawah Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dahulu yang masih belum mampu diselesai lagi. Perlu suntikan asset yang besar agar hutang hutang lapuk ini mampu diselesaikan.
Penulis berasa sangsi, mengapa Kumpulan CIMB yang mempelupuri exercise ini? Apakah ini agenda sulit pihak pihak tertentu, mengadakan exercise sebegini Mega Gergasi, membuat konsolidasi keseluruhan pelaburan (yang didukung asset yang amat berharga dan besar; lebih besar dari Republik Singapura!) dan sebagai rationalisationnya, 'memberhentikan' sebegitu besar eksekutif Melayu dan akhirnya kedudukan itu dipenuhi professional Bukan Melayu, menjadi pengurus professional kepada hampir keseluruhan asset dan pelaburan strategik Bangsa Melayu? Apa pengalaman khusus Kumpulan CIMB ingin menerajui dan mengabungkan konglomerat perladangan Mega Gergasi sebegini besar? Apa pengalaman Kumpulan CIMB ingin menentukan semua "KPI" dan isu isu yang akan menyelubungi "rationalisation" exercise ini?
Apakah yang ada sekarang, dengan sistem kawal-selia dan pengurusan sediada, PNB sebagai pemegang saham utama ketiga tiga Konglomerat ini belum lagi puas hati dengan pulangan dan keseluruhan pelaburan Bangsa Melayu merungut kerana pulangan keatas unit unit trust pelaburan mereka tidak memuaskan, sepanjang 25 tahun ini?
Terlalu banyak tanda tanya. Terlalu banyak keraguan. Mungkin penulis kurang mahir dan tidak cukup layak untuk mempersoalkan pengabungan konglomerat milik Melayu Mega Gergasi ini. Yang nyatanya, penulis tidak sanggup lagi melihat asset pelaburan strategik Bangsa Melayu, seperti yang berlaku kepada pegabungan ECM Libra - Avenue berlaku lagi. Ini bukan soal perkauman. Ini soal HAK YANG MEMANG SEDIA UJUD DITANGAN BANGSA MELAYU!
Ketirisan apa yang ada ditangan, dikawal orang lain ditopengkan sebagai, "pengurusan professional", adalah alasan pihak pihak tertentu suka ingin momokan kepada masyarakat Melayu dormant hari ini.
dipetik dari:
http://www.mykmu.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5572&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Perdana Menteri Abdullah Badawi
ReplyDeleteIngin mencari Al Ghazali
Sayang sekali sehingga kini
Tiga tahun berlalu masih mencari cari
Rakyat memilih BN dengan penuh harapan
Percaya akan ketulusan yang dijanjikan
Tapi semua janji yang dilaungkan
Masih lagi menjadi satu impian
Kami rakyat semakin hari semakin gelisah
Semakin hari semakin meyampah
Melihat gelagat para pembesar
Mengumpul kekayaan untuk anak dan saudara
Para pembesar takut bersuara
Menentang penyelewengan yang amat ketara
Takut hilang kekudukan takut hilang kuasa
Tidak takut ke pada yang Maha Esa?
As Umno member, I would like to remind and warn Board and Management of Utusan Melayu Berhad not to enter into any negotiation with NSTP or its controlling shareholder, Media Prima Berhad, with the veiw of merging ownership of our company with NSTP/Media Prima.
ReplyDeleteRemember, Utusan belongs to Umno. NSTP does not. A merger with NSTP/Media Prima could cause Umno to lose control of Utusan.
Umno already has no say over NSTP which since Pak Lah appointed Kalimullah Hassan to run the company has been hostile to Umno and the Malays.
This is another ploy by individuals around the PM to corner Umno and government companies.
Saya akan sumpah Lembaga Pengarah dan Pengurusan Utusan jika Umno hilang kawalan ke atas Utusan dan suara Melayu/Umno lenyap atas alasan penyusunan semula korporat.
Merger boleh merger, tapi Kalimullah, Syed Faizal dan Aun kena main jauh-jauh. YOU ARE FIRED.
ReplyDeleteLets Khalid Mohamad becomes the Group Editor in Chief (GEIC) of the new company. After all, he is better that Kali and Aun.
eh how can merging two giants endup killing both of them?
ReplyDeletesurely its like one eats one up and grows bigger right?
haiyo sorry ah my mathematics a bit cacat sometimes...
i really hope this news of a merger is a bad joke to distract us from the obvious problems in the nst.
ReplyDeletethe nst is an institution, which chronicled the history of the country even before it was malaysia since 1845.
because it is so well-organised with such good systems set in place, it still stands and is able to function.
but with time, the people with the knowledge and skills - the editors and subs are slowly dying and fresh capable blood must be recruited to sustain it.
utusan has a completely different history and 'perjuangan' from the nst but was a leading newspaper before again the invasion of non-journalists after they malaysianised the company and fired most of the original sporean malay editors/staff when it was bought (if i got my facts right).
utusan now is just racist political crap.
with really bad layout and print quality.
even the alternative political papers like bebas, putra (?) etc are better laid out and written.
merging utusan with berita harian will be disastrous for berita harian, which is a quality newspaper with an excellent mix - like the old broadsheet nst.
the berita harian is the new NST.
to merge BH and Utusan is a sin beyond reproach (since religious talk is in i thought i will join in the fire and brimstone talk).
in a way, i don't want to be racial but am stating a fact - BH is a symbol of the Malays success in a modern world and to merge it with Utusan, which still lingers in the middle ages, would be a great injustice to all who have worked and sacarificed since 1957 to make Berita Harian what it is today.
i hope the nst will be a broadsheet again soon.
will they see that some things like national pride are more important than personal ambition?
The marriage between Utusan and NSTP will only bear born-losers.
ReplyDeleteThe Star can take advantage by publishing a Bahasa version. I'm sure it will sells like goreng pisang panas. A 'Bintang' is born?
eeer...and how can this create better press freedom... again?
ReplyDeleteListen! I think this is the cue for the malay mail to really make a comeback as a REAL newspaper. The NST, most people would agree, is not hacking it. Numbers are falling and people are leaving. The so called "merger" of NSTP and Utusan Melayu, if it should involve only the Malay-language newspapers, will also be meant to "free" NST to be its own newspaper. If so, if will fail very quickly, unless the management and editors led by Datuk Kali are forced to leave it to a new team altogether. the Malay Mail, i gather, already has autonomous. Which means, if this were the script, MM and NST will compete with each other. if that happens, malay mail will have upper hand because it is already owned by Media Prima.
ReplyDeleteQuestion is who will own NST? Is Kali aiming to create a one-newspaper NST to challenge teh STAR (since he always giving the excuse that the STAR beat the NST because the STAR is a one-produce company)?
Let's see. I am sure the Rahman fellow is looking at making the Malay Mail a major newspaper in the country.
NSTP-Utusan & Sinchew-Nanyang merger ? Seems like monopoly by the power-that-be at play.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is now, the right time to give our full supports for the online media.
everyone knows berita harian and utussn and nst belong to the same ilk - they are the mouthpiece of umno. so it doesnt matter whether they merge or not. as for nst, it makes economic sense because share prices are going to go up. he he he.
ReplyDeleteI stopped buying NST about 2 years ago after 20 years of being a loyal reader. Now I have to stop buying Utusan.... never mind, I can at least save some money for the dark years seem to come.
ReplyDelete'Tis the part of wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket. (Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, 1605-)
ReplyDeleteutusan is still a crap paper, to me. everyone is entitled to their opinion.
ReplyDeletei don't think utusan want to to join nstp either. utusan have a way longer history than bh.
i think bh won't be too happy.
anyway, the malay dailies have way more press freedom than the english dailies...all these alternative papers around sold at most newstands
it's about having an 'alternative' mainstream paper dude.
like people have the star now.
they would have to settle for 'utusan harian'.
i hope it's not a merger but more of 'nstp takeovers/swallows/absorbs utusan group'
or
'utusan group pleads to be part of NSTP'
NSTP bails out utusan group
Utusan saved by benevolent NSTP, says xxxx
Utusan understands defeat
Exodus to Utusan staff to NSTP
Utusan staff flees to NSTP
......
get the drift
NOT NSTP merge with UTUSAN
:D
The Star has came out with the story in its publication today.
ReplyDeleteNSTP is buying Utusan??? I thought Utusan (more than RM42m) has more cash than NSTP (about RM14m).
Muncullah HARIAN BARUA =(B)erit(A) ha(R)ian + Utusan malaysi(A) = hasil gabungan Utusan-NSTP. Memang barua semua pihak
ReplyDeleteAwat dia tak ambik semua sekali lagi senang!
ReplyDeleteUtusan Melayu+NSTP+Harakah+Karangkraf+Nanyang+Sin Chew &+&+&+&+& amik semua sekali company surat habaq kat Malaysia ni bagi dia jadi rojak.
APA NAK JADI DAH MALAYSIA NI.!!!!
BIG TREE PUN MEDIA PRIMA DAH REMBAT.
TAMAK HALOBA BETUI LA DEPA NI...
I think the merger would benefit most in areas of 'resource sharing' which is part of cost saving. I am sure they have done the cost/benefit analysis. (?) However there should be a mutual agreement as to where the optimum point (cross point) between "trying to do the right thing, presentation style, printing news that sell vs substance and uphold an agenda" should be, so that everyone would be smiling.
ReplyDeleteHey ! It's my 120 cents that goes around.
And the new newspaper will be known as what? NESTUM?
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen to NSTP after its merger with Utusan Melayu if the new management decides to terminate all its contract workers. First to go are contract workers like Syed Faizal, Hisham Aun dan Manja Ismail. I dont see why these three stooges should continue to be here. Syed Faizal never improve the business of the newpapers in the group. He proudly announced to turn the company financial from red to black but until today, its not proven yet. What did Hisham Aun do for the paper since he took over as the GEIC. Is he is a big name in the industry?. Is his writing give an impact? no and never. How about Manja?. He did'nt write at all. How do we measure their performance? They are failed. So terminate them, we will be happy.
ReplyDelete