Shahidan rice cooker suit to go to trial

After failing to reach a settlement during mediation, a suit by a businessperson against Perlis Umno office-bearers - including Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim - for unpaid orders of rice cookers will go to trial.

This was disclosed to Kuala Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh during case management today. Wan Ahmad Farid fixed May 28 and June 1 for hearing.

The court also fixed March 22 for further case management.

Florence Lee Jye Wen had filed the RM500,000 suit last April 6 and named Shahidan Kassim, Padang Besar MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin and Perlis Umno treasurer Rozabil Abdul Rahman for breach of contract over a deal for rice cookers.

In her statement of claim, she alleged that Perlis Umno had ordered about 60,000 1.8-litre rice cookers emblazoned with Umno and BN logos, along with Shahidan Kassim’s initials "DSSK," on June 3, 2015.

Lee claimed that she was initially approached by a sales representative claiming that Perlis Umno was interested in buying rice cookers with logos.

Lee designed the said logo, measuring 2.5 inches by one inch, and reportedly showed it to Shahidan's secretary in May 2015.

Several days later, she was informed that Shahidan had approved the logo, as well as the purchase of the 60,000 rice cookers for Perlis Umno.

On June 3, she reportedly received an official letter from Perlis Umno signed by its organising secretary, Kamarudin Abdul, stating that Shahidan approved the purchase, and that 20,000 of the units would be distributed to the constituencies of Arau and Kangar.

Lee considered the document to be a confirmation letter of the purchase, which totalled RM4.4 million. The per unit price was reportedly below the market price of RM107.

She then proceeded to place an initial order for 10,000 rice cookers, with all units ready to be delivered on the instructions of Perlis Umno by June 2015.

However, only 2,000 units were ordered by Perlis Umno to be delivered between Oct 23, 2015, and April 6, 2016. It is alleged that the remaining 8,000 units were neither collected nor paid for.

Hence, Lee is claiming a total of RM592,000 for the 8,000 rice cookers, special damages of RM36,511.40 for the cost of storing the units, and continuing costs of RM2,750.35 to keep the units which cannot be sold off elsewhere due to the customised logos.

She is also seeking general damages to the order of the remaining 50,000 units, which are to be assessed by the court.

Meanwhile, the three defendants denied they had entered into a contract to purchase the 60,000 rice cookers, nor had they issued any official letter on June 3.

In their statement of defence, they said Lee failed to acknowledge the order, and hence no agreement existed between her and Perlis Umno.

The statement also claimed that Lee failed to deliver the rice cookers within the time stipulated, and she should thus be prevented from taking legal action due to the “violation” inflicted on Perlis Umno.

She is also said to have failed to deliver the rice cookers during the month of Ramadhan 2015 as required, reportedly breaching one of the conditions of the initial agreement.

The defendants further denied that the rice cookers were delivered, nor did they make any payment to Lee for the electrical appliances. As such, they want the statement of claim filed by Lee be dismissed with costs.- Mkini