In case you haven’t heard, businesswoman and cosmetics mogul Dato’ Seri Hasmiza Othman, more commonly known as Dato’ Seri Vida (DSV), has found herself in a legal dispute. She is accused of failing to settle a debt of RM1.06 million owed to a subcontractor who completed renovation work on her Shah Alam factory back in 2018, when it was converted into a studio.
As a result, the Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered the seizure of her assets, which include two Toyota Vellfires, a Toyota Grand Hiace, a BMW X7, and various personal items from her home in Ipoh, Perak.
Read: Dato’ Seri Vida’s Cars & Home Seized Over Unpaid RM1 Million Debt Dating Back To 2018
DSV Responds To The News Of Her Assets Being Seized
In response to the news, the entrepreneur took to Instagram, stating that she has hired a lawyer to help resolve the issue and will provide further clarification soon. During a TikTok livestream on Tuesday (26th November), she confirmed plans to hold a press conference upon her return to Malaysia. However, before that, she shared her thoughts on the subcontractors who had made the allegations against her.
The businesswoman stated that the subcontractors were demanding excessive payments for the renovation of Vida All Star Studio, despite not completing the project. “You keep claiming more money, but you haven’t finished the job! How about you complete the project first, then claim the money? You keep going over budget and had the nerve to say I didn’t pay you. There wasn’t even electricity or water in the building!” she said during the broadcast.
DSV also pointed out that it is common for customers to pay contractors upfront, or at least provide a deposit, with the balance paid once the work is finished. However, in her case, she claimed the subcontractors kept requesting more money even though the project was far from complete. “I already paid them in full. This wasn’t a payment-by-progress deal. I paid them everything to make their jobs easier, to support them and give them a chance,” she added.
Says She Has No Idea Who The Subcontractors Were & No Warrant To Seize Her Home
The "I Am Me" singer also shared that she didn’t recognize the subcontractor who arrived at her house during the asset seizure. “I have no idea who you are; I have not done business with you. I’ll say this, you’re very clever, I’ll give you that. You know how to work the law and used it against me,” she said. The livestream was later shared on TikTok, where many netizens expressed sympathy for the entrepreneur.
During the broadcast, DSV also claimed that the plaintiffs who entered her home did not have a warrant. “There should’ve been another letter. There was no letter or warrant to enter the house, but due to the cooperation of staff I didn’t even know about, the plaintiffs were allowed entry,” she explained.
However, some pointed out that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had ordered the confiscation of her assets, which suggests that DSV may not be entirely in the right and that she will need to address the issue in court.
Here’s some of the comments:
Challenges The Claims Of Confiscation Of Her Assets
In the same update, DSV's lawyer previously stated that they plan to challenge the confiscation order, which includes several luxury assets. While she is currently overseas, we’ll have to wait for her return to hear the full explanation at her upcoming press conference.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media & various cross-references for context.
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