Shahidan, two others settle rice cooker suit, to pay RM15k in costs

Former Umno minister Shahidan Kassim and two other Perlis Umno leaders have settled a suit filed against them by a businessperson over an order of rice cookers.

Lawyer Lavinia Kumaraendran, who represented businessperson Florence Lee Jye Wen, told reporters that the trio will be paying RM15,000 in costs.

Lavinia said with the settlement, the final order of 6,000 rice cookers will be delivered to the defendants on or before Sept 7.

The defendants had already paid for the 6,000 rice cookers last week.

Lee was also represented by lawyer Cassandra Lee.

The businessperson had sued Shahidan along with Padang Besar MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who was then Perlis Umno secretary and Perlis Umno treasurer Rozabil Abdul Rahman for breach of contract regarding their order of 60,000 rice cookers.

She claimed that Perlis Umno had allegedly ordered 60,000 1.8-litre rice cookers emblazoned with the Umno and BN logos and Shahidan's initials "DSSK" three years ago.

In her statement of claim filed in April last year, Lee claimed a sales representative approached her saying Perlis Umno was interested in buying the rice cookers, for which she produced the said logo measuring 2.5 inches by one inch, and showed it to Shahidan's secretary in May 2015.

She said approval was obtained several days later on June 3, 2015, via an official letter from Perlis Umno signed by its organising secretary, Kamarudin Abdul. The letter reportedly stated that Shahidan approved the purchase of 60,000 units, with 20,000 units each to be distributed in the constituencies of Arau and Kangar.

Considering that to be a confirmation letter, Lee processed the RM4.4 million purchase and 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 eventually ordered by Perlis Umno to be delivered between Oct 23, 2015, and Apr 6, 2016.

In her suit, Lee claimed a total of RM592,000 for non-payment of the 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 their customised labels. - Mkini