Utusan Sarawak, Our university

ON Feb 28, the Utusan Sarawak newspaper ended its print run after more than 30 years of operation.

The newspaper was first published on Jan 16, 1949, by Tan Sri Abang Ikhwan Zainie, who was chairman of the Sarawak Malay Association at the time.

It was printed by Arif Press and continued its publication until 1971.

A new version of this newspaper emerged in the 1990s, with its publication managed by Warta Distribution Sdn Bhd, with its printing done by Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd at its factory on Jalan Abell, Kuching.

This writer joined the newspaper team in late 1994 when it was undergoing a transformation process.

The newspaper was initially led by Aziz Malim before it was handed over to Jeniri Amir (now Datuk Dr), a former principal and education officer at the time.

Jeniri was a prolific journalist, and his writings often garnered attention when he wrote for Cermin Rakyat, a supplement to The People’s Mirror.

Initially, this affiliate of Sarawak Tribune published around 8 to 12 pages.

However, when Jeniri took over, the editorial team was determined to double the number of pages to ensure readers felt it was worth purchasing.Thus, the number of pages was gradually increased. Adding pages meant adding more content.

Planning was carried out in that direction by introducing a supplement section, an economic section, and most importantly, a sports section, which received an enthusiastic response.

A senior journalist, Wan Ali Amit, was entrusted with leading the section, alongside a young journalist from Mukah, who was also a former football player, Awang Shahferi Adeni.

For general and political news, it was handled by the deputy executive editor, Khaidir Ahmad, who was also known as Abah.

Meanwhile, Aziz, whom we called Pak Aziz, served as the final “gatekeeper.” As the deputy executive editor I, he was in his late 60s at the time and took on the role of a proofreader.

The writer himself started as a cadet reporter for the general news desk before, a few months later, being entrusted to join the supplement section team.

The complete overhaul of the newspaper was quite dramatic.

We not only took reference from national newspapers like Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, The Star, Harian Metro, and New Straits Times but also from Indonesian publications such as Jawa Pos, Republika, and Media Indonesia, as well as Tempo magazine.

Additionally, we also looked at The Nation from Thailand and international magazines like Asiaweek and Times.

References and studies were not only focused on layout and presentation but also on writing style.

This writer was among those who learned a great deal from the new journalism style of Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, and Asiaweek.

Compared to other newspapers in Sarawak at the time, this newspaper began focusing on feature articles and opinion columns as a symbol of its strength.

And like Mingguan Malaysia, it strengthened the publication of Mingguan Sarawak with engaging opinion columns such as “Cakap Sini Habis Sini” by Jeniri Amir and “Gunjing”, which means gossip, by Muhammad Kassim – the executive editor of Cermin Rakyat, who later became the deputy executive editor of Utusan Sarawak.

Additionally, several prominent figures were appointed as columnists, including Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Tan Sri Ibrahim Abu Shah, and the late Dr Kamil Ibrahim.

During that era, up until the year 2000, the newspaper received an overwhelming, remarkable, and extraordinary response.

At its peak, its circulation reached up to 48,000 copies.For quite a long period, it was rarely unsold or left unsold — especially the Mingguan Sarawak edition.

One of the reasons was the excitement surrounding Sarawak football at the time.Back then, newspaper commentary was something eagerly anticipated.

It was through this newspaper that this writer produced a special report on Rosli Dhoby and his comrades, which was eventually compiled into a book.

The report also became a reference for the scholarly documentary “Rosli Dhoby: Pejuang atau Pembunuh”, aired under the “Suatu Ketika” segment on Astro Ria. This documentary later won the award for Best Scholarly Documentary at the Malaysian Documentary Film Festival.

In fact, this writer’s work in that book was also included in the Form Three textbook about ten years ago.Interestingly, the primary reference sources were news reports about Rosli Dhoby and his comrades, published between 1949 and 1951.

On Feb 28, Utusan Sarawak ended its print run after more than 30 years of operation.

For quite a long period, it was rarely unsuccessful in sales or left unread, especially the Mingguan Sarawak edition. When it ceased printing last Friday, the newspaper had already enjoyed three decades of its golden era.

What happened after that, especially leading up to the year 2000 when this writer concluded his role as feature editor, is now history.

Political developments at the time, including the clash for the deputy president position in Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) between Pehin Sri Adenan Satem and Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, as well as the dismissal of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, were among the reasons some of us left the newspaper’s editorial team.

Additionally, a management-led “clean-up” operation, citing company losses, also contributed to our departure.

Earlier, Jeniri resigned after defying the company owner’s directive by providing campaign coverage for Abang Johari when it was supposed to be blacked out.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Kassim (now Datuk) was asked to leave even earlier due to his playful jabs at the leadership style of the top figures at the time.

Even so, Utusan Sarawak was an important newspaper at the time, as it played a role in disseminating government policies as well as the policies and stance of PBB.

During elections, its circulation was multiplied several times, alongside Jiwa Bakti (PBB’s internal newspaper), to be distributed free of charge to the people of Sarawak.