Suit against Shahidan called off

Legal action withdrawn after Arau MP pays for 8,000 rice cookers

KUALA LUMPUR: An electrical appliances vendor has withdrawn her suit against Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and two others for breach of contract over the purchase of rice cookers said to be meant for distribution in three Perlis constituencies.

This was after Shahidan, Perlis Umno secretary Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin and treasurer Datuk Rozabil Abdul Rahman made payment for 8,000 units of rice cookers during proceedings in chambers before Judicial Commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh yesterday.

When contacted, counsel Lavinia Kumaraendran, who acted for vendor Florence Lee Jye Wen, said the three defendants settled the matter by making payments and the court also ordered them to pay RM15,000 in costs.

Lavinia said in April last year, Lee sued the three over the 8,000 units of rice cookers.

In the middle of this year, the trio paid for and took delivery of 2,000 units.

“They paid the balance for the 8,000 units last week and delivery will be done by Sept 7.

“As they have paid for all the units, the suit has been withdrawn, but they also have to bear costs of RM15,000,” said Lavinia.

Lee, through an electrical appliances dealer, named Shahidan, Zahidi and Rozabil as the first, second and third defendants.

She said a sales representative approached her on May 15, 2015, saying that Perlis Umno wanted to buy 60,000 units of 1.8L rice cookers.

In her statement of claim filed on April 6, 2017, Lee said she was also informed that Perlis Umno required the rice cookers to bear the approved Perlis Umno logo and Shahidan’s initials “DSSK”, and to be distributed in Arau, Kangar and Padang Besar.

Lee claimed that at all material times, she had only agreed to the price of RM74 per unit on the premise that the party would be buying 60,000 rice cookers.

She said the total value of the agreement dated June 3, 2015, was RM4.44mil, being the sum for the purchase of the 60,000 units at RM74 each.

But they proceeded with only 10,000 units.

Lee then placed the orders for 10,000 rice cookers and prepared the stickers with the logo.

The plaintiff said she delivered 2,000 units on Oct 23, 2015, Jan 19 and April 6, 2016, following instructions by the first defendant and/or Perlis Umno to its Kubang Gajah service centre in Arau, Perlis.

She said after the initial delivery, Perlis Umno failed to instruct the delivery of the remaining 8,000 units and pay the RM592,000 owed.

Lee said she was unable to sell the 8,000 units to a third party to mitigate her loss as the rice cookers had the Perlis Umno logo and the first defendant’s initials affixed.

Lavinia was assisted in the case by Cassandra Lee.