KUALA LUMPUR – Local event organiser MND Sport & Event Sdn Bhd, which is facing ongoing backlash over alleged delayed refunds for a Korean pop event cancelled nearly five months ago, is claiming RM1 million in damages against an individual who criticised its handling of the matter.
According to a letter of demand shared with Scoop, the company is also seeking an unconditional apology, to be approved by the company’s lawyers, from one Sallehudin Abd Razak over his allegedly defamatory posts uploaded on X.
The letter, issued on behalf of the company by law firm Nurul Hafidzah & Associates, accused Sallehudin of slandering and creating a negative impression of MND Sport & Event through two posts.
The two posts touched on claims by global fans of Korean boyband SHINee, who have been up in arms over MND Sport & Event’s slow process to refund ticket buyers for a fanmeeting with the group’s leader Onew.
The event, initially scheduled to take place on July 27, was cancelled just ten days before fans were set to meet their idol. While the company had assured that refunds will be processed starting August 1, many local and international fans claim that they have yet to receive their reimbursements.
The company is now taking issue with the two posts on Dec 9 by Sallehudin, under the username @xallehrazax, who highlighted a concert in February next year organised by MND Sport & Event while accusing the firm of having “a bad track record” in event cancellations, and urging fans not to support the upcoming show.
MND Sport & Event contends that due to Sallehudin’s posts, the company suffered “embarrassment, emotional distress and grief” as the posts allowed the public to view it as “cowardly, dishonest and irresponsible”.
“In fact, due to your (Sallehudin’s) irresponsible attitude, the good name and reputation of our client as a company has been impacted,” the letter stated, adding that the company had lost many potential clients while the general public avoided doing business with it.
Sallehudin, who works as a creative designer of an apparel company, has 14 days from when he was served the letter on December 13 to abide by the demands stipulated in the letter, failing which the law firm said it would fail a court claim.
It also warned that the potential lawsuit could include other demands for damages, with the costs to be shouldered by the defendant.
Previously, Scoop reported on SHINee fans’ grievances against MND Sport & Event, with some fans asserting that they had filed complaints to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry as well as the Tribunal for Consumer Claims. Many others also threatened to file police reports.
The company had also directly contacted a fan, who had previously voiced outrage over the delayed reimbursements, to demand that they take down their “defamatory in nature” post and issue an “unconditional public apology”.
It is understood that the post referred to by the company referenced an allegedly lavish wedding held by an MND Sport & Event personnel in October.
Similarly, X user @moilettering was contacted by an individual, who is believed to be part of MND Sport & Event, demanding that they take down their post, which contained similar details as the one uploaded by the fan. – December 14, 2024