Cosmetics entrepreneur Datuk Seri Hasmiza Othman, widely known as Datuk Vida, faced a significant setback yesterday as her residence and four vehicles were seized following her failure to settle a debt exceeding RM1 million.
According to an English-language newspaper, the Kuala Lumpur High Court issued the seizure order after Datuk Vida defaulted on a payment of RM1,060,285. The debt was owed to a contractor engaged to renovate a factory in Shah Alam into a studio.
Yesterday morning, a bailiff from the Ipoh High Court, accompanied by lawyer Samir Zainal and subcontractor representative Mohamad Taufik Kamarul, arrived at Datuk Vida's residence on Persiaran Bukit Meru at 9 a.m. Entry was delayed until 10:30 a.m., awaiting the arrival of her staff.
Samir disclosed that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had issued a judgment on October 29, 2023, mandating Datuk Vida to clear the debt. In the absence of payment, a writ of seizure and sale was subsequently granted.
"All items in the house, except those in Datuk Vida's locked room, were marked by the bailiff after nearly four hours. She now has until December 9 to settle the debt. If not, the items will be auctioned," Samir stated.
Datuk Vida's staff informed the bailiff that the entrepreneur is currently in China and would be reaching out shortly. The seizure process was conducted smoothly, with full cooperation from her staff.
The debt traces back to 2018 when Datuk Vida hired a renovation consulting firm, which then subcontracted Mohamad Taufik for the project. However, payment issues arose when the entrepreneur allegedly failed to pay the consulting firm. This led Mohamad Taufik to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against the firm.
Efforts to contact Datuk Vida for her comments remained unsuccessful as of last night.
With the deadline looming, the high-profile entrepreneur now faces the potential auctioning of her assets if the debt remains unpaid.
