KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 17): Premium clothing retailer BritishIndia (Asia) Sdn Bhd announced that it is suing Suria KLCC Sdn Bhd as the latter is threatening to hoard it up if it refuses to relocate to another location.
 
BritishIndia is seeking an injunction to prevent Suria KLCC from carrying out their threat, it said in a statement today. The hearing has been scheduled for next Tuesday (Feb 24), it added.
 
BritishIndia claimed that it had been a pioneering tenant at the iconic Suria KLCC mall since 1998, and that it had been paying competitive rent throughout its stay there.
 
The luxury brand said Suria KLCC had given it four days to unconditionally accept the offer, which was first made via a letter sent to the clothier in July 2014.
 
"After receiving our rental [this month] and the monies clearing into their account, they issued BritishIndia [a] vacate-within-four-days letter. Their actions towards tenants such as BritishIndia calls to question their motive," said BritishIndia founder Pat Liew said in the statement.
 
BritishIndia said it was using its store frontage in Suria KLCC to promote Malaysia, and that if it was forced to leave would mark the end of a successful Malaysian fashion brand having a presence in the country's iconic shopping mall.
 
Liew said BritishIndia was invited to open its store in Suria KLCC 18 years ago when the mall first opened.
 
"The late Tun Azizan Zainal Abidin, the former Petronas President and Chairman of Suria KLCC Sdn Bhd, had a vision for the mall to house top Malaysian brands standing next to international brands. We found out that our current premises is intended to be leased to a foreign fashion brand who already has an existing location in Suria KLCC. We are left with no choice but to resort to legal action to protect our rights and be treated fairly," she said.
 
Liew built up BritishIndia from scratch 20 years ago. Within three years, the clothier became a renowned premium fashion brand popular with tourists.
 
BritishIndia said its list of local clientele includes members of the Malaysian royalty and the diplomatic community.
 
Currently, BritishIndia has over 40 stores in leading malls across Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, and is in the midst of further expansion.

"The homegrown brand uses its store frontage in Suria KLCC to promote Malaysia and proves that a Malaysian brand can be on par with international global brands. If BritishIndia is forced to leave, it will mark the end of a successful Malaysian fashion brand having a presence in the country's iconic shopping mall," the statement added.