The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry has been hit with a letter of demand seeking compensation and acknowledgement of a direct marketing company’s designs for the Malaysian pavilion at the Osaka World Expo in Japan.

The company, Current Media Group (CMG), instructed its counsel to formally issue the legal demand on July 17.

In a statement today, CMG said it decided to pursue legal action against the ministry after exhausting all informal avenues for dialogue and giving the ministry ample time to act in good faith.

It claimed that the ministry had failed to sufficiently engage with them after CMG founder Fey Ilyas took to social media on April 25 to describe how the Malaysia Pavilion bears “clear similarities” to the proposal CMG developed and presented to the ministry long before the official tender process.

“(Fey’s) post quickly gained national attention, prompting the ministry to issue a statement on April 26 indicating that an internal investigation was underway.

“(However), since that announcement, CMG has not received a single request for documents, interviews, or clarifications, nor has the ministry provided any substantive update on the status of its inquiry,” the company claimed.

It added that if the ministry fails to respond satisfactorily within the statutory period from when the letter of demand was served, CMG will pursue every legal remedy available under Malaysian law.

“CMG reiterates its willingness to engage in constructive mediation at any time - so long as that process is undertaken in good faith, recognises the value of creative labour, and upholds equitable terms,” it said.

No payment or acknowledgement

Fey previously posted on Instagram claiming his company had developed the “concept, theme, narrative and architectural direction” for the Malaysia Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which began on April 13.

He alleged that while the company had contributed to Malaysia’s exhibition at the global stage, CMG was neither paid nor given any acknowledgement for their work.

Fey further alleged that the company was instead advised to stay quiet, as they were told that speaking up might hurt their chances of getting more jobs in the future.

In response, the ministry announced an investigation into the company’s allegations, noting that it takes the matter seriously and is gathering all facts regarding the claims.

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Miti probing M'sia Pavilion creative work theft claim