Beware of business deals with Helmi bin Bujang & Ika Yulita Hasanah

Self-proclaimed agricultural consultant Mohamad Helmi bin Bujang (also known as 'Helmi Mihas') and his Indonesian business partner/wife Ika Yulita Hasanah has swindled Malaysians into business deals by inviting Malaysian investors to pay for goods which the pair had to no intention to fulfill.

Helmi operates as the Managing Director of 'Sinar Agrotect Resources' while Ika operates under 'Suria Malindo', 'CV Sigma Quatra' and 'PT. Tiara Energy'. Both of them have invited Malaysian businesses to invest in various aspects of agricultural sector, claiming that the 'indonesian way' of doing business was that Malaysians had to display their genuine intentions to deal by making full payments first, to gain Indonesians' trust. However, as it turned out, the Malaysians who bought into this business were the ones being taken advantaged of.

One particular Malaysian company, Agrijaya Trading, based in Kuching, Sarawak, has so far invested about RM90,000/- (machineries, workers' salaries, rental of premise, general expenses), in an agricultural business introduced by Helmi and Ika, and claims that the duo still have an estimated RM36,000/- of undelivered goods since April 2009, despite repeated attempts to contact the duo, not to mention the cost of delays and loss of business earnings caused by non-performance on their side.

1) Agrijaya had fully-paid to be delivered door-to-door: 22 tons of yellow maize purchased in April 2009, of which 13.5 tons were delivered in late May 2009, which the remaining 8.5tons is still outstanding.

On 20 July 2009, Helmi informed Agrijaya that the indonesian side had no more intention to deliver the remaining stock, hence cancelling the contract. Hence, Agrijaya, being the rightful owner of the commodity would then sell back the undelivered stock at current market price and impose an 5% penalty for breaking the contract. This remains outstanding.

There was another situation whereby Helmi pocketed 30% deposit (amounting to RM45,000/-) from a jagung buyer without informing us, yet Helmi instructed his buyer to collect all our stock at our shop. We were not informed of this deal beforehand, so I interjected and stopped the buyer from collecting our stock.

2) Agrijaya had fully-paid to be delivered door-to-door: 100 bags or 500kg of yellow maize seeds worth RM10,080/- outstanding. These seeds were meant for the contract farming scheme undertaken by Agrijaya. The order was for P21 type of seeds. However, for the first 100 bags, the indonesians switched the delivery of P21 to P12 types of seeds which had only one month remaining on their validity period. Ika had promised to get a statement from the seed manufacturer that the P12 seeds were more suitable for local conditions, and even stated that the seeds were fine as long as the packs were not opened, even if it is past the valid period. So far, no statements had been received. I think they changed this deal as an excuse to rid of old stock.

The first 100 bags were delivered in May, and Helmi had taken 96 bags to plant with various farmers. Helmi had promised salary to these farmers for planting these crops. To date, Helmi had not paid these farmers any salary for the last 4 months, and we have not been able to harvest these stock.

3) Agrijaya had fully-paid to be delivered door-to-door: 20bags or 500kg of fertiliser worth RM1,150/- outstanding. The first 20bags were delivered in April 2009.

When asked about the outstanding 20bags, Helmi claimed to have brought in the outstanding 20 bags directly to his farms, but did not notify Agrijaya, and has not produced any evidence of delivery. Helmi had even instructed Agrijaya's worker to amend the stock-out card to show 40 instead of 20 bags, while the worker knew that Helmi had intended to cheat Agrijaya.

4) Agrijaya had fully-paid to Helmi to bring 30 heads of adult male goats worth RM15,300/- from indonesian into Malaysian side, to resell for profit. A deposit of RM6600/- was paid to Helmi on 1/4/09, and remaining RM8700/- was paid to Helmi on 27/4/09. (Total RM15300/-, with payment vouchers as proof).

We just discovered that there are 2 claims to the ownership of these 30 goats. Meaning to say, Helmi collected payments from 2 parties in Kuching (incl. Agrijaya Trading) for the same stock of goats, even before these goats had found their end-buyer.

Our original deal with Helmi was that -
Helmi had the supply of goats from indonesia, he also had the buyer over here in Kuching (Felcra Koperasi). Helmi asked Agrijaya Trading to be the investor (capital of RM15,300/-) to firstly purchase these goats, while he would cover the operation costs of import, quaranteen, delivery charges, etc. We would eventually split profits halfway after he sells the goats to Felcra Koperasi.

He had originally informed us that the goats would arrive between 22-25 April 2009, after their quarantine in Indonesia. However, as Helmi stated, the importation had to be delayed due to the H1N1 outbreak. So, ever since April, we have been waiting for these goats to arrive.

In mid-June, Helmi's further excuse was that Felcra Koperasi (the buyer) would take another month to issue a Purchase Order. We don't know how true this is...while we were aware that his import permit expires in end of July. We were also frustrated at Helmi then, that he only asked for the buyer's PO in mid-June, when we already paid for the goats in April. Sure, we were already suspicious then...but Helmi insisted that he would only bring in the goats when the buyer issues a PO. All this while, Helmi kept informing us that the goats were still in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, in July, we managed to make contact with a staff of Felcra HQ and informed him of this stock of 30 goats available. We have issued him an offer letter, for him to confirm and issue a PO. The price is being negotiated at the moment. The price that they are willing to buy, is not as high as Helmi assumed he could sell.

About the same time in mid-July, Helmi off-handedly revealed in confidence to one of my staff that the goats had in fact been brought in already, and are kept at Desa Ilmu. Helmi even told him to keep this a secret. My staff felt trully uncomfortable with this information, and I was duly informed. It was then that we started some background checks. One source revealed that he had actually helped Helmi unload about 60 goats at Desa Ilmu. My staff later found out where the goats were kept. I didn't take any action then, as I could not confirm whether these goats belonged to us.

At that time, I still assumed according to Helmi's information that the goats were still in indonesia. I also asked Helmi, after the buyer issues the PO, how were we going to deliver the goats to the buyer, and where the quarantine farm will be. Helmi mentioned that he will not be bringing them to any quarantine farm, as he would use a cross-border backlane to bring in these goats. He reasoned that for the goats to be quarantined at the sarawak side, it will cause further delay. He also stated that he would keep the goats at a friend's farm at samarahan. He did not mention at all to me about these goats that had been unloaded at Desa Ilmu.

Then, on 8/8/09 morning, as 3 of us from Agrijaya were on the way up to Kota Samarahan, we decided to drop by this farm at Desa Ilmu. We did see more than 30 goats (i have photos to proof it), and by chance, we even met the owner of this farm. Everything came to light when the owner claimed that these goats belonged to him, as he had paid for these goats to Helmi in May, and these goats came in from Indonesia 3 days before Gawai (about the same time our first load of jagung, 13.5ton arrived at our shop, brought in by Helmi).

Note this - He said that he is holding onto these goats as Helmi told him that his buyer, Felcra Koperasi, and later our buyer Felcra HQ, had not issued the PO yet. That's where our cases collided. Both parties realized then that Helmi had double-dealed us.

We had established that these goats were the same ones Agrijaya is pushing to Felcra HQ, because we were the ones telling Helmi that the PO is not issued. I had paid RM15,300/- for these goats in April, while another party also paid for these same goats in May. When and should these goats later be sold, who would get their investment back?!! Clearly, Helmi had double-dealed and cheated both parties, even before the goats are re-sold for profit.

Helmi does not know yet that both parties have found out about this case with the ownership of 30 goats. We have decided to remain quiet and not to confront him yet, just to see what his next move would be. We will confront him at an appropriate time. I wait in grave suspicion with what he would be up to next.

(the original two paragraphs here are removed in respect of the two ladies in question, as they felt too upset, let alone having their story broadcasted.)

We also know that Helmi is bringing a federal project to help the poor by planting jagung ('project champion'). Each participant would get a grant of RM10,000/- through the anchor company. I believe this project was introduced by a particular Dato' Adzmy.

Agrijaya Trading is the rightful investor and anchor company here. We also prepared and forwarded to Dato Adzmy our project paper under his guidance, yet Helmi used it to push his own company, Sinar Agrotech Resources, at the recent public meeting with the District Officer at the Dewan Majlis at Kota Samarahan. He even promoted himself as a 'consultant'.

Since April 2009, I have so far invested about RM90,000/- of overdraft loans on my house, bank loans, personal savings, and even sold my car to sustain this agricultural business in Kuching. 4 months into it and I realize that I am being cheated and swindled by the very person who introduced me into the agricultural industry - Mohd. Helmi b. Bujang, who is supported by the department for bumiputra entrepreneurs.

There are other groups in Sarawak which claimed to have been swindled by Helmi bin Bujang, aka. Helmi Mihas, which could account to criminal cases to be brought to justice. Helmi had clearly taken advantage of friends' trust and other business investments, and even taken advantage of a particular Dato' Adzmy of Sarawak Bumiputra Entreprenuers Development who had given Helmi a vote of confidence and introduced Helmi to other agencies and bumiputra businesses.

Until Helmi and Ika settle their outstanding accounts, these blog would serve as a warning to others whom may have been associated with these two personalities. Beware of Helmi bin Bujang aka. Helmi Mihas and Ika Yulita Hasanah.

Regards,
for Agrijaya Trading.

Henrick Lau