Items in Seri Vida’s luxury home in Ipoh were sealed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in a move to recover an alleged debt of over RM1 million owed to a sub-contractor

While she was away, Seri Hasmiza Othman (aka Seri Vida), Malaysia’s “cosmetic mogul”, as the media calls her, ran into a fix back home. At her rumah mewah (luxury residence) in Ipoh this morning, a bailiff and the sub-contractor—to whom she is reported to have failed to pay outstanding bills—appeared to recover what they could possibly liquidate. According to the sub-contractor, Mohamad Taufik Kamarul, a writ of seizure and sale was issued by the court. He told The Star: “It took the bailiff nearly four hours to tag all items from the house, except for Vida’s room, which was locked. She is given two weeks to settle the debt; otherwise, all the items will be auctioned off.” Apart from the possessions in the 10-room house, located in the wealthy neighborhood of Persiaran Bukit Meru, her luxury wheels were reportedly secured. Sinar Daily listed them as “two Vellfires, a Toyota Grand Hiace and a BMW X7”.

According to Mr Kamarul, one of the debtor’s staffers said she was away in China during his and the bailiff’s visit. On her Instagram page thirty minutes ago, she shared a reel of her in surroundings that did not resemble places tourists would typically visit in China (no city was specified). In the accompanying message, she wrote in Malay: “I would like to inform you that I take this matter seriously and would give my full attention to the issues raised. I have appointed a lawyer to advise and assist me in resolving this matter in the best possible way and with accordance to the law.” She added, “I appreciate the support of all parties and hope to be given space to address this in a calm and professional manner.” It is not known if the support she referred to came from Mr Kamarul as well.

Seri Vida posing in front of her Ipoh house believed to be the one in Persiaran Bukit Meru visited by the local high court bailiff. Photo: serividaofficial/Instagram

The amount owed to the sub-contractor is reported to be RM1,060,285. This was for the renovations that converted her Shah Alam factory into a studio (what it was eventually used for is unknown). According to his lawyer, the Kuala Lumpur High Court issued a judgment on 29 October last year that ordered Ms Othman to settle the debt, but she did not. It is not known why she chose not to clear herself from the arrears. According to the New Straits Times, Mr Kamarul has been asking for the money since 2018. Ms Othman had initially engaged “a consultancy firm” for the renovation, which then sub-contracted his services. Apparently, he received no payment from the firm, as it turned into a she-did-not-pay-me-I-can’t-pay-you situation. Mr Kamarul apparently “filed a bankruptcy against the firm”.

Known to her fans as Dato’ Seri Vida (also without the honorific), she is foremost, a cosmetics brand owner who also goes by her initials DSV. Her Vida Beauty (not to be confusion with New York’s Vida Cosmetics) was founded in 2006 and is popular for their line of whitening products Qu Puteh (which is colloquial Malay for ‘I’m White’). Her branding hinges on the tagline that annoys many (mostly those who are already unimpressed by her): Qu Puteh, Qu Puteh, Barulah Puteh—literally, I’m White, I’m White, Only Then White, with a deliberate misspelling of ku (as in aku or me, as well as I) for qu. What that really means is not clear (this isn’t a Kardashian trying to be klever!). Yet, she has scores of impressed fans (on Instagram alone, she draws 2.9 million followers), and few of them are turned off by news of how bad her products could be for users. One Qu Puteh cream, Gebu AP Krim, was found to contain hydroquinone and tretinoin (both controlled substances), prompting the Malay Mail, in a 2017 editorial, to assert “Vida Cosmetics cream among seven beauty products declared poisonous”. This, despite a ban on one of the Qu Puteh creams by the Malaysian Health Ministry a year earlier for excessive amounts of mercury in it.

Seri Vida with Fan Bingbing, exchanging gifts, when the latter was in Malaysia last July. Screen shot: bingbing_fan/Instagram

Despite the products’ patchy safety record (she has denied they contain questionable ingredients), they are purportedly popular (Vida Beauty does not avail their sales figures). Seri Vida continues to play up her celebrity through social media to sell, not just her cosmetics, but food items too, even tapping the superstar status of others to augment her own. Back in July, when Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) was in Malaysia as Malacca’s tourism ambassador, Seri Vida met with the actor, who is also a beauty entrepreneur and, now, a print on garments. Both exchanged gifts. Speaking Mandarin, the Malaysian gave her guest popcorn while she received what appeared to be Fan Beauty Secret sheet masks. Seri Vida, who now sells snacks too (branded after her daughter’s nickname Cik B), did not say why Qu Puteh was not gifted to Ms Fan, but speculation was rife that she probably had no confidence to offer something not-good-enough in exchange for items better developed and marketed.

Seri Vera has always leveraged her online popularity for her cosmetic venture. It is uncertain if her admirers idolise her for some true genius or laud her for her kampung-comedic self, which, deliberate or not, tends to veer towards what could be considered tacky. Often lauded as a businesswoman extraordinaire, her professional and personal branding pivot on the crass. She is loud and proud of it. She speaks in a manner that belies her past as a teacher (that she is conversant in Mandarin is attributed to her days teaching English in Chinese-medium school SJK Poi Lam [培南小学, Peinan Primary School] in her hometown of Ipoh) . Some observers think that her ability to command a crowd comes from her classroom background—compelling teachers are veritable entertainers; they have to be able to practically do songs and dances to capture the attention of their classes. Seri Veda continues to show her ability to entertain, practically anywhere.

Frolicking in a bathtub with cash in the foreground for the 2017 MV of I am Me. Screen shot: krumusic/YouTube

And there is her singing career, launched in 2017, when she was a 45 years of age and when Vida Beauty was 11. The love to amuse might have led her to becoming a late-career vocalist. Although she was drawing sufficient attention from her antics on social media, whether selling or not, it was not sufficient for Seri Vida. It is possible that she wanted to be taken seriously as an entertainer. In 2017, she debuted with the campy single I am Me. That it quickly went viral did not mean the lagu (song) was an exceptional piece of pop. She talk-sang about herself: “I am fun. I am pretty. I am beautiful. I am a queen. I inspire your desire. I am a diva, living a la vida”. The track reminded us of Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1989 attempt at pop stardom, the dance-y How to do That. Seri Vida’s song raked 600 thousand views on YouTube in the first five days it was shared on the platform, according to the New Straits Times.

The song was accompanied by first, a simple music video (featuring just the singer and a pink backdrop) and then, another more elaborate, outrageous production, which upset the conservative among her audience as it showed her not only showing off her wealth, but also frolicking in a bath tub filled with cash. That was not to be her last controversial video. Her follow-up in 2022 was a dramatic and heartfelt Ku Ikhlaskan (Sincerely), but that went by without much online attack, save those directed at her extravagant and ridiculous costumes. But it was the Hari Raya song Muah Muah Raya in the same year that truly rocked the sampan. The original MV featured drag dancers (even Seri Vida’s make-up seemed to mimic theirs), and it was so offensive to so many, especially the rural folks who followed her, that she was called up by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for questioning. So was the MV’s director, the designer Tan Kel Wen (陳楷文).

The MV of Muah Muah Raya that upset fans due to the drag queen dancers used. Photo: Malaysiakini

Mr Tan was—and still is—her fashion partner-in-crime, for a lack of a better phrase. Initially, he found in her a willing model for his meaninglessly outlandish clothes. She has attended his label Behati’s fashion shows during KL Fashion Week, both as a guest, as well as a model. And she has become his customer too., often wearing his pakaian yang keterlaluan (outrageous clothes) that is only outmatched by what Mr Tan made for the singer Aini Abdul, including one that looked like a garment fashioned out of a mattress. And then he became involved in her passion projects, first, directing the MV for Ku Ikhlaskan and outfitting her and then also accepting the same double duty for the Muah Muah Raya video (it is now no longer shared on her YouTube page. The song presently has a different video, featuring her family members). While Seri Vida was criticised for her ridiculous get-ups, Tan Kel Wen went on to make videos, including those for his label to much fan adoration.

It is not quite clear why Seri Vida has a weakness for those clothes. She has, from the start of her career as a beauty entrepreneur, a predilection for the garish. Even her pakaian for religious occasions have been head-turners. This was revealed when she donned a sequined telekung (a woman’s prayer garment, designed by Behati, of course) on the red carpet of Gempak Most Wanted Awards in 2022. Netizens criticised her for her inappropriate dress, even if, with the passing of the years, many were no longer surprised by her. Her critics say that her love for outrageous fashion is to distract those looking at her, who may notice a lack of comeliness. Seri Vida told The Jakarta Post in 2017, even before she was dressed by Behati or directed by Tan Kel Wen, “I know I don’t have the looks or youthfulness anymore, that’s why I look to myself for inspiration, so that others can feel the same way, too.” As for her personal style, she said,  “I like to be a trendsetter and I do that by staying positive about what I create.” Or, swathe herself with.

Seri Vida modelled for Behati during KL Fashion Week in 2022. Photo: behati/Instagram

At the raid of her Ipoh residence by the bailiff this morning, it was reported by the media that access to Seri Hasmiza Othman’s bedroom was not possible as it was locked. There was no mention of her personal luxury items seized, sealed, or marked. In the remade I am Me music video, two scenes captured showed her surrounded by what could be luxury bags. In one, assorted bags and pieces of luggage in the foreground framed her while she sang, and another, a background of cupboards filled with assorted satchels and totes gave the impression of an obsession that could rival influencer-turn-entrepreneur Vivy Yusof’s. Like the founder of Fashionvalet, Ms Othman is not discreet when it comes to showing off her many designer bags on social media, including one Book tote (not to mention the matching scarves). In the 2019 program TV Terlajak Laris, hosted by fellow, just-as-controversial entertainer Aliff Syukri, who visited Ms Othman, a room he availed himself to was seen to contain many pieces of luggage, as well as footwear that included those by Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton. It is not known if the bailiff and the debt-chaser Mohamad Taufik Kamarul were interested in any of them.

Seri Hasmiza Othman—like Vivy Yusof—published a book at the height of her success. I Am Me: Rahsia Niaga DS Vida (DS Vida’s Secrets to Success) chronicled her early years getting her business started and the difficulties she had to go through before making the millions she is said to have. Not self-penned, it was, as we understand it, quickly sold out when it appeared a month after the release of the I am Me music video. And just like Ms Yusof’s The Last Decade: My Journey from Blogger to Entrepreneur, Ms Othman’s book ( it didn’t take ten years) is targeted at those who are keen in going into business themselves or to learn about the entrepreneurial journeys others took. At the launch of her book in 2017, Ms Othman told her rapt audience: “Those new to startup businesses need to get this book to help them make the right business decisions and avoid bad investments.” Sounds familiar?

Update (26 November 2024, 18:35): According to the New Straits Times, Seri Hasmiza Othman will challenge the court order on the items seized from her luxury residence, her lawyer confirmed. Earlier, on Facebook, he shared that he was instructed to state that the claim is dipertikaikan (disputed), He also mentioned that his client is “di luar negara (out of the country)”. He did not say where Ms Othman is.

Update (1 November 2025, 09:00): After almost a year, Seri Hasmiza Othman’s seized assets—four cars and 727 personal items—were finally auctioned off, netting the creditor RM1 million. She tried to put the whole thing on ice for a year, but the court was apparently not in the mood for a long-term loan and pushed the auction through. The event took place at Ms Othman’s luxury house in Ipoh. According to The Star, the cosmetic queen and her family were not around during the auction.

Illustration: Just So