KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Umno can help save Utusan Malaysia if the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration unfreezes its bank accounts, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said. 

Najib’s remarks come following news that the Malay daily will cease operations on Wednesday after staff claimed their wages had not been paid in months.

"In early February this year, Umno had to sell its shares in Utusan Malaysia. This is after Umno’s accounts were frozen by the oppressive PH government. 

"Therefore, the power of control and management was no longer in Umno’s hands. However, Utusan is still close to our hearts.

"If Utusan is in danger, Umno would definitely want to help,” he said in a Facebook post today.

In his posting, Najib explained that Umno’s bank accounts, including RM116 million of the party’s funds meant for the 14th general elections, were confiscated by the PH government.

"According to the law, the PH government should stop the freeze order on Umno’s accounts and return the funds if there is no criminal conviction within a year.

"The PH government knows and acknowledges that these funds are legitimate and should be returned.

"However, due to political oppression, it has issued a civil suit to continue to freeze the funds to torment Umno and myself.

"Utusan has also become a victim. If the PH government decides to stop the order to freeze Umno’s account and return the funds that it has illegally seized today, tomorrow we will help Utusan,” he said.

Najib also claimed that Utusan’s monetary problems were supposedly further exacerbated when the PH administration did not act promptly to allow it to sell off its assets as a means to solve its cash flow problems.

"But do not think that the PH government will act fairly. It doesn’t care.

"Don’t expect that the PH government will help Malaysia’s oldest newspaper,” he said, stating further that Utusan Malaysia is a cultural and linguistic treasure of the Malay community.

Najib called on Malaysians to purchase Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo! as well as visit their online portals as a means of support.