Fuelsubs sends legal notice

PETALING JAYA: Fuelsubs House Sdn Bhd, which is bidding for a project to manage the country’s fuel subsidy programme, has sent a legal notice to a news portal for allegedly publishing a defamatory article against the company.

The legal firm of Shafee & Co, representing Fuelsubs, Datasonic Group Bhd and three other individuals, sent the legal notice to news portal Malaysian Insider, demanding an unreserved apology to be published in major newspapers as well as a sum of RM100mil as compensation.

The three individuals are Datasonic deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben, Fuelsubs director and shareholder Datuk Razali Naina Merican and Fuelsubs managing director Habibul Rahman Kadir Shah.

In its letter of demand, the parties alleged that the article had inferred that they, collectively or as individuals, did not have any expertise or credibility to qualify them to bid for the national fuel subsidy rationalisation programme.

Fuelsubs gained prominence last month when smart-card producer Datasonic announced that it would pay RM10mil for a 30% stake if the company secured the award to implement the fuel subsidy rationalisation programme.

Apart from Fuelsubs, several companies are bidding for the project that would entail the implementation of a fuel subsidy programme that targets the lower-income groups.