Earlier this week, influencer Tyra Kamaruzzaman accused local fashion brand Elrah Exclusive and its founder, El Azman, of plagiarising her husband’s family’s work. She alleged that the company had entirely copied a sampin design that had been passed down through generations on her husband’s side of the family.
Her allegations have since sparked outrage among netizens, who have criticised the fashion brand for allegedly stealing a design. After the story went viral, the business owner eventually issued a statement to address the situation, but the response has not been particularly positive. Here’s the story:
El Azman posted a statement on his Instagram page to deny the allegations made by Tyra Kamaruzzaman and her husband, Emran. In his company’s defence, he argued that the keris featured in the Elrah Exclusive design could not be trademarked by anyone, as it is part of Malaysian culture and heritage. The founder also claimed that the trademark certification by the influencer’s family was only issued this year, based on the code on the certificate.
He also pointed out that the family only raised the issue after the brand had officially released the collection, insinuating that they were simply seeking attention and nothing more. “Elrah Exclusive has always respected intellectual property and cultural heritage. We strongly deny the allegations and will defend our right to use cultural elements that have always been part of Malaysia’s identity,” the statement reads.
Tyra Kamaruzzaman and Emran responded to the post, saying that all of this could have been avoided if the founder had simply replied to their DMs, which began in February of this year, to discuss the matter. The mother-of-one also insisted that the issue had not been raised recently, as they had been trying to contact El Azman but had not received a proper reply to their request. In her Instagram stories, she provided more evidence of the family’s original design and clarified that they are not seeking attention, but are simply trying to protect Emran’s family heritage.
After posting the official statement, many noticed and pointed out flaws in it. According to netizens, El Azman failed to address the actual allegation, which was the overall design itself, rather than the use of cultural elements like the keris. They reiterated Tyra’s previous claims, stating that Elrah Exclusive’s sampin design is strikingly similar to her family’s sampin design, particularly in the position and placement of the weapon and the choice of colours.
Netizens also argued that it made sense for the couple to raise the issue after the collection was released, as they would not have known their family’s work may have been plagiarised otherwise. They further criticised the business owner for not responding to the couple’s messages, despite them attempting to contact him since February to settle the issue.
Let’s hope that both parties can meet up to resolve the matter before things get worse. Read the full statement below:
