A COMPANY belonging to celebrity entrepreneur Nur Sajat has not coughed up unpaid sponsorship amounting to more than RM111,000 despite three months having passed since a court order was issued to that effect.
In 2019, Nur Sajat Aesthetic Sdn Bhd entered into a contract with Miss Grand Malaysia 2019 license holder and organiser Introducing Talent Sdn Bhd – the local precursor to the Miss Grand International beauty pageant – for sponsorship totaling more than RM70,000.
However, only 50% was paid while a promise of another RM30,000 for cosmetic enhancements for winners was never delivered, said Introducing Talents directors Jude Benjamin Lisa and Joshua O’Neill in a statement today.
This led them to file a suit in court to gain their dues.
On May 20, 2022, a case management session was conducted in which the Shah Alam Sessions Court ruled that it was satisfied that service of the writ and statement of claim to the defendant had been completed.
Then on June 8, the court ruled that Nur Sajat Aesthetic must pay Introducing Talent Sdn Bhd RM111,280.50 over the matter.
However, Nur Sajat and Nur Sajat Aesthetic Sdn Bhd, who did not contest the ruling, have yet to make restoration to the organisers, said Jude and Joshua.
“The court ruling was based on evidence, which demonstrates that Nur Sajat Aesthetic Sdn Bhd not only did not fulfill its duty of paying the full sponsorship amount, including prizes to the winner and runner-ups, but also did not return culturally sensitive items to the organiser when requested to do so,” they added.
Judgment in default
In its judgment in default (JID), the court also set a 5% per annum interest on the judgment sum from the date of filing of the writ until full and final settlement.
It further adjudged that the defendant must pay additional general damages to be assessed by the court and costs in the sum of RM1,301 (comprising filing fees for affidavits, statements of claim and other legal documents and court services).
The JID was issued as the defendant was a no-show during proceedings and accordingly registered as “no appearance” by the Sessions Court.
Nur Sajat is currently in Australia after receiving asylum.
The Miss Grand Malaysia beauty pageant, meanwhile, was founded in 2013 by Penang-based businessman Anson Chang, featuring 12 national finalists representing almost all of the 13 states and three federal territories.
From 2014 to 2016, however, no national pageant was held, with the country representatives for the international competition designated by national directors instead.
In 2017, the local pageant was brought back by Jude, a public relations and digital marketing consultant who previously served as the national licensee for Miss Grand International in Malaysia.
He and business partner Joshua earlier set up Introducing Talent to manage the affiliated pageant, which it did from 2015 to 2021.
However, the organisation has since lost the franchise to Singapore-based HyperLive Entertainment, which is organising this year’s local pageant. – Sept 13, 2022
Main photo credit: Rentak Sejuta
