Singer M Nasir sues MyTeksi over alleged misuse of name in coffee ad

KUALA LUMPUR: National music icon M Nasir and his company, Luncai Emas Sdn Bhd, have filed a suit against MyTeksi Sdn Bhd, alleging that the company used his name and brand without permission for commercial promotional purposes on its platform.

The suit was filed by Nasir, whose full name is Mohd Nasir Mohamed, 69, and Luncai Emas through the law firm of Zulpadli & Edham at the High Court here on April 27, naming MyTeksi as the defendant.

Case management has been scheduled for June 29 through e-Review before deputy registrar S Malarselvi.

According to the writ of summons and statement of claim, the plaintiffs allege that the defendant used the name and brand “M Nasir” in promoting a coffee beverage marketed as “M Nasir’s Favourite” through the defendant’s official Instagram account without authorisation.

They said the defendant posted an advertisement through the Instagram accounts @grabmy and @grabfoodmy on April 23, 2025, featuring a cup and a can of coffee labelled “GrabFood” and “GrabMart” to promote products or services offered through the company’s platform.

“In addition to the advertisement, the caption used was ‘M Nasir’s favourite coffees,’ followed by the phrase ‘Grab has both,’ which directly referred to M Nasir and created the impression that the products or services were associated with him,” according to the statement of claim.

The plaintiffs allege that the unauthorised use of the name and brand “M Nasir” caused misunderstanding and confusion among the public, thereby affecting the singer’s good name and reputation

They further alleged that the advertisement lacked any disclaimer clarifying that the reference to Nasir does not refer to the artist, or that he has no involvement or endorsement of the products or the campaign.

According to the plaintiffs, the use of his name in a commercial context was intended to benefit from his reputation and commercial value to promote the defendant’s products and services without the plaintiffs’ knowledge or consent.

The plaintiffs are seeking general damages, exemplary damages of RM3 million, aggravated damages of RM2 million, interest and costs.

They are also seeking an injunction to stop the defendant, its agents and employees from continuing to use the name “M Nasir” for commercial purposes, as well as an order for an account of profits derived from the campaign.