KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — A total of 160 former Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad (UMMB) workers who were involved in the voluntary separation scheme (VSS) exercise five years ago, have demanded UHY Advisory to settle the remaining payment of RM18.9 million from trust properties that were liquidated.

In a letter of demand (LOD) dated March 3 which was sent via Messrs Azmi & Associates to Messrs Dennis Nik & Wong who represented the company, stated that it demanded that the settlement payment amounting to RM18,880,296.11 be deposited into the account of Azmi & Associates.

"If we do not have a response from you within 14 days from the date of this letter, our clients will pursue all remedies available to them in law including filing a court action,” said the firm in the LOD.

This was after lawyers from the employees’ firm sent correspondence to Messrs Dennis Nik & Wong in December 2022 as well as January and February this year, to remind them.

However, the firm said it had not received any reply.

The letters were issued following High Court Judge Nadzarin Wok Nordin’s ruling on Oct 25 2022 that the workers who had yet to receive their full compensation after filing for the VSS were beneficiaries of proceeds from the 29 trust properties.

The judge also declared the 29 properties owned by UMMB including its subsidiaries, namely Utusan Publications & Distributor Sdn Bhd, U Print Sdn Bhd (in liquidation), Utusan Land Sdn Bhd and Juasa Holdings Sdn Bhd and its related company namely Mediamoney Sdn Bhd.

In his judgment, Nadzarin said the properties including several buildings situated in Jalan 5, Jalan Utusan Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin as well as Jalan 5, Seksyen 92 CSL here and Jalan P/10 Kawasan Perusahaan S/S 10 in Bangi, which leasehold tenure had expired are towards the settlement for the VSS scheme by the plaintiff (UMMB) can be recognised or declared as trust properties.

He made the ruling in the originating summon filed by UHY Advisory as the liquidator representing UMMB as plaintiff against Rosmanizam Abdullah and 159 others as defendants (VSS employees). — Bernama