M. Nasir sues Grab's registered entity MyTeksi over alleged unauthorised use of name in campaign

National music icon M. Nasir has filed a lawsuit against MyTeksi Sdn Bhd, Grab Malaysia's registered corporate entity, alleging the company used his name and brand without permission for commercial promotional purposes in a social media campaign, according to a Bernama report.

The claim states that on 23 April 2025, MyTeksi allegedly published an advertisement via @grabmy and @grabfoodmy featuring coffee products branded under GrabFood and GrabMart, accompanied by captions referencing “Kopi-kopi kegemaran M Nasir” (M. Nasir's favourite coffees) and “Dua-dua pun Grab ada” (Grab has both).

The plaintiffs argue that the use of M. Nasir’s name created the impression of an association or endorsement, despite no such consent being granted. They further allege that the campaign caused public confusion and misrepresentation, impacting the singer’s reputation and goodwill.

It was also stated that the advertisement did not include any disclaimer clarifying that M. Nasir was not affiliated with the campaign or the promoted products.

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The plaintiffs contend that the use of his name in a commercial context was intended to leverage his reputation and commercial value without authorisation.

As part of the claim, M. Nasir and Luncai Emas are seeking general damages, alongside RM3 million in exemplary damages and RM2 million in aggravated damages, as well as interest and legal costs.

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

The suit was filed by M. Nasir, whose full name is Mohd Nasir Mohamed, together with his company Luncai Emas Sdn Bhd, through law firm Zulpadli & Edham at the High Court on 27 April. MyTeksi, a subsidiary linked to Grab’s ecosystem, has been named as the defendant.

Case management has been set for 29 June via e-Review before Deputy Registrar S. Malarselvi.

According to the writ of summons and statement of claim cited in the Bernama report, the plaintiffs allege that MyTeksi used the “M. Nasir” name in the promotion of coffee beverages marketed under the phrase “Kegemaran M. Nasir” on its official Instagram accounts.

A rundown of the events

Earlier in April, ZUS Coffee unveiled a cheeky OOH campaign which seemingly "featured" musical greats such as M. Nasir and Siti Nurhaliza.

The ZUS billboard featuring a man, had the words "ZUS Coffee kegemaran M. Nasir" ('ZUS Coffee is M. Nasir's favourite') sprawled across it, but with an asterisks behind the name of M. Nasir, to state a caveat that the person they are referring to, is a mathematics teacher from Alor Setar, Kedah, who likes singing karaoke.

Following which, Wonda Coffee launched an out-of-home (OOH) campaign which captured the attention of road users across major highways in the Klang Valley, as it featured the real music legend M. Nasir alongside its original milk coffee can drink. The billboards read "Kopi Wonda kegemaran M. Nasir", which translates to "Wonda Coffee is M. Nasir's favourite", as a trendjacking jab at ZUS Coffee's OOH campaign.

Later on, Grab Malaysia joined in on the trend too, by putting out a post featuring a photo of a cup of ZUS Coffee and a can of Wonda Coffee. Underneath the cup of coffee is label which reads 'GrabFood' while the canned coffee drink is labeled 'GrabMart'. Accompanying the drinks is a text which reads "Kopi-kopi kegemaran M Nasir. Dua-dua pun Grab ada", translating to 'M Nasir's favourite coffees. Grab has both of them'.

Photo courtesy of M. Nasir (Facebook). 

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