KRITIKAN MEDIA
The
The
Edge
Edge
Financial
Financial Daily Ceases Print Edition as
‘Print
COVID-19
media needs
Hits
Daily
Malaysia’s
Ceases
Media
Print
Industry - 21 April 2020
tax exemptions to
Edition as COVID-19
Leading business and
financial publication The
Edge Financial Daily (FD)
Hits Malaysia’s
today published its final
print edition after 13 years before it
Media Industry
goes fully digital tomorrow.
In an announcement published
- 21 April 2020
on FD, The Edge Media Group
Leading
publisher and group
business
chief executive
and
Datuk Ho
financial
Kay Tat
publication
said the decision
The
to cease
Edge
print was
Financial
made
Daily
in light
(FD)
of
the developing
today published
Malaysian
its
media
final
print
landscape
edition
and
after
ongoing
13 years
COVID-19
before it
goes
outbreak.
fully digital tomorrow.
In
“Sadly,
an announcement
FD is unable to
published
survive
on
the
FD,
double
The
onslaught
Edge Media
of the
Group
shift
publisher
to digital
and
news
group
and
chief
the
executive
current
Datuk
lockdown
Ho
of
Kay
the
Tat
economy
said the
because
decision
of
to
the
cease
Covid-19
print
pandemic.
was made in light of
the developing Malaysian media
landscape and ongoing COVID-19
outbreak.
PETALING “Sadly, FD is unable JAYA: to survive As
the double a primary onslaught provider of the shift of
to digital credible news news and the in a current sea of
lockdown information, of the economy players because in the of
the print Covid-19 media industry pandemic. should receive
tax “This exemptions will, therefore, to stay afloat be the in last a
issue challenging of FD. But landscape. it will not be the last
stories At our the “Will journalists the Covid will Pandemic write for
you,” Finally he said. Kill the Print Media?”
digital The forum, Edge Media industry Group, experts which said
had print established media needs itself reliefs as publisher such of as
The tax Edge exemptions weekly, to launched overcome FD the on
May economic 22, 2007. turmoil caused by the
Covid-19 Since pandemic. then, it has published
continuously Founder — and except chief in July executive 2015
when officer the of Money Malaysian Compass government Media
suspended (MCM), Amy the Seok, publishing said tax licence relief of is
The needed Edge as profit media margins group’s for two the print
publications, industry are very FD low. and The Edge
weekly, “During alleging the that year their when coverage the 6%
of Goods the and 1Malaysia Services Tax Development (GST) was
Berhad introduced, (1MDB) I had made threatened pleas to the
country’s Ministry of national Finance security to make and the
public industries order. tax-exempt, but there was
no Besides response,” Ho, she the said statement during was the
also forum undersigned hosted by her by organisation. FD’s editor-inchief
“Although Azam Aris. we were struggling,
many magazines chose to absorb the
“This will, therefore, be the last
issue of FD. But it will not be the last
stories our journalists will write for
you,” he said.
The Edge Media Group, which had
established itself as publisher of The
Edge weekly, launched FD on May 22,
2007.
Ho,
Since
however,
then, it
said
has
The
published
Edge
weekly
continuously
(which
— except
is available
in July 2015
on
weekends)
when the
and
Malaysian
its website
government
www.
theedgemarkets.com
suspended the publishing
will carry
licence
on as
of
usual.
The Edge media group’s two print
publications,
“Beside The
FD
Edge
and
weekly,
The
which
Edge
hits
weekly,
the
alleging
street at
that
the
their
weekend,
coverage
our
of
website
the 1Malaysia
www.theedgemarkets.com
Development Berhad
will
(1MDB)
update
threatened
you on major
the
marketmoving
country’s
national
stories
security
during
and public
weekdays.
order.
So
Besides
check
Ho,
in
the
every
statement
morning
was
and
also
throughout the day to get the latest
news from us,” he said.
“Sadly, FD
is unable
to survive
the double
onslaught
of the shift
to digital
news and
the current
lockdown of
the economy
because of
the Covid-19
pandemic.
survive’
- 22 May 2020
undersigned by FD’s editor-in-chief
Azam Aris.
Ho, however, said The Edge
weekly (which is available on
weekends) and its website www.
PETALING JAYA: As
theedgemarkets.com a primary will provider carry on of
as usual. credible news in a sea of
“Beside information, The Edge players weekly, in our the
website print media www.theedgemarkets.com
industry should receive
will tax update exemptions you on to major stay afloat marketmoving
challenging stories landscape. during weekdays.
in a
So At check the “Will in every the Covid morning Pandemic
throughout Finally Kill the day the to Print get the Media?” latest
news digital from forum, us,” he industry said. experts said
print media needs reliefs such as
tax exemptions to overcome the
‘Print media needs tax exemptions to survive’ - 22 May 2020
GST and maintained their prices for
customers.”
MCM senior adviser Steve Teoh
said tax exemptions would help the
government’s initiatives to cultivate
the reading habit among Malaysians.
“We could also engage private
corporations to see if they would be
interested in sponsoring efforts to
revive the reading culture.”
Teoh added print organisations
need to maintain their credibility and
make an effort to be multilingual.
Founder and group chief
executive officer of MyNews
Holdings Bhd, Dang Tai Luk, said
newspapers had been ahead of
the times by starting door-to-door
deliveries decades ago.
“For the food and beverage
industry, home deliveries might
be the new normal during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“However, newspapers have
been doing this maybe even 100 years
ago. Magazines and newspapers
need to make a greater push for home
delivery.
SASARAN EDISI 82 145
economic turmoil caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Founder and chief executive
officer of Money Compass Media
(MCM), Amy Seok, said tax relief is
needed as profit margins for the print
industry “To add are very value, low. get in touch
with “During advertisers the who year would when like the 6% to
offer Goods free and samples, Services such Tax as (GST) shampoo was
bottles introduced, and deliver I had them made as pleas free to gifts the
with Ministry magazines.” of Finance to make the
industries Dang said tax-exempt, if changes but there are not was
made, no response,” retailers will she soon said during be out of the
the forum game hosted as sales by of her newspapers organisation. and
magazines “Although are dropping we were by struggling, up to
43% many a year. magazines chose to absorb the
GST Ex-Bernama and maintained chairman their prices Datuk for
Seri customers.” Azman Ujang urged the
government MCM senior to develop adviser Steve policies Teoh
that said push tax exemptions digital giants would to help share the
advertising government’s revenue initiatives with media. to cultivate
the reading habit among Malaysians.
“We “...tax could exemptions also engage would private
corporations
help the
to
government’s
see if they would be
interested sponsoring efforts to
initiatives to cultivate
revive the reading culture.”
the Teoh reading added habit print organisations among
need to maintain Malaysians.” their credibility and