The Labour Department under the ministry said several workers were facing issues such as repayments on bank loans as they have not received their pay for September.

The department said it had instructed Utusan’s liquidators, UHY Advisory Sdn Bhd, to ensure the workers receive appropriate compensation following a meeting with the company’s representatives on Oct 11.

It also told the company to pay up all outstanding Voluntary Separation Scheme payments to staff involved in the retrenchment exercise last year.

“All employees who are still in service until Oct 30, 2019 must be paid their wages for the months of September and October at once,” it said in a statement today.

Utusan and UHY Advisory were also urged to offer employment opportunity programmes and advisory services for the former employees to ensure their welfare was not neglected.

Utusan Group, which published Utusan Malaysia, Mingguan Malaysia, Kosmo! and Kosmo! Ahad and several magazines, ceased operations on Oct 9 following a board decision to go into voluntary liquidation.

The National Union of Journalists described the move as inhumane, with staff told to vacate the office by 1pm that day.

In September last year, Utusan Melayu offered VSS to its 1,500-strong workforce at the time.

Utusan Malaysia’s newsstand price was also increased by 50 sen to RM2 starting Aug 23, while the price for Kosmo! was increased by 50 sen to RM1.50 in a bid to stay afloat.