Actor Pornsak Prajakwit abruptly resigns from eCommerce firm Mdada, Mdada releases statement of disappointment

Singapore-based actor-host Pornsak Prajakwit has announced, rather abruptly, that he has left Mdada, the eCommerce company he co-founded alongside local actress-host Michelle Chia and celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee in 2020. The Thai-Chinese personality announced the news on his Instagram and Facebook pages on January 2 in a lengthy post that claimed that differences, including a generational gap, was the reason why he chose to leave.

“In the past two-and-half years, I got to know so many new supporters through my Japan, South Korea and United States trips. It has been so fruitful and I count my lucky stars for my good fortune,” he wrote in his caption. “Come 2023, I have lofty dreams and ambitions. I want to be the ideal live-streamer - one with a personal touch, one whom everybody can entrust his/her purchases, and one who is there to entertain as well.” he continued.

Addressing his sudden departure from Mdada, Prajakwit said in an interview with local news site AsiaOne that he left due to  differences between himself and co-founders Chia and Lee. He acknowledged that he shared a lot of things in common with his co-founders, Chia and Lee, but that considering the “generation gap”, his departure could not be considered to come as a surprise.

He added in the interview that he and his co-founders had vast differences in points of view when it came to corporate governance which eventually soured the relationship. He also continued by saying that Mdada was under a new management but that this was due to internal promotions and not external factors such as an acquisition. He clarified that Chia took up directorship and that when he left as chief executive officer, Lee took up the role. At that point, Prajakwit said that he assumed he left on good terms and that the three remain friends.

Mdada then released a statement on its social media platforms that said it was “deeply disappointed” about Pornsak speaking to the media about his decision to leave “without first giving them a proper chance to address his alleged concerns.” The statement continued by saying that Pornsak did not mention his concerns when he resigned as director and CEO in October last year. The statement added that it was “deeply concerned by any suggestion or innuendo that Mdada or its key shareholders are in any way untrustworthy with customers’ purchases or orders, or that Mdada is lacking in corporate governance”.

The statement also added that issues the company faced in the delivery of good sold on its platform happened from time to time due to “extrinsic factors outside of Mdada’s control”. It continued by saying that these issues included logistical problems such as the weather and COVID-19 restrictions.

“This episode has not only affected Mdada’s reputation and value, but has also hurt Chia, Lee and all employees of Mdada who work tirelessly to serve our loyal customers and fans. Only Prajakwit will be able to explain why he decided to do so,” the statement said.

Prajakwit has since come out to say in an interview with entertainment portal 8world that he has no intention of defaming the company and that people interpreted his post differently. He added that he will think twice before writing and that he has always respected Lee and Chia in media interviews and expressed how grateful he is to Mdada. Currently, according to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s checks, no changes have been made on Mdada’s website which still states that Prajakwit is part of the team.

We are aware and actually humbled by the public interest in MDADA. It is a great We are aware and actually humbled by the public interest in MDADA. It is a great opportunity to have different viewpoints and we know neither party has any intentions but only demanding MDADA to deliver the best. We are very grateful for our friendship and what we have achieved together and wish Pornsak all the best in his next endeavors," said an MDADA spokesperson when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE contacted them. "Customers can expect normalcy in our operations and rely on our commitment to delivering a good end-to-end livestream commerce experience for our viewers. We deeply appreciate the trust and support from the community over the years, and we seek your understanding so MDADA can continuously improve and produce a fun-loving shopping experience to our partners, clients and viewers," it continued. 

This isn't the first negative press the company has been embroiled in. Earlier in 2022, the company apologised to customers via a livestream on Facebook where Lee explained that Mdada had run into logistical issues caused by the pandemic, which resulted in delayed goods. He added that the company has not made money at all from the trip to Europe as it had failed to calculate the administration fee and GST, which amounted to 12% for some customers. Mdada later said that all food items that can no longer be consumed will be refunded, while customers will receive a weekly update on their orders’ delivery status.

The apology came after Shin Min Daily News (SMDN) detailed the experiences of customers who waited for two months for their orders to arrive. Lee also reiterated during the livestream that Mdada had a delivery timeline of 40 working days. According to The New Paper, Pornsak, was also present in the livestream, said that the team is now entirely focused on shipping out orders. 

Related articles:
Celebrity-owned SG-based online marketplace Mdada feels wrath of customers after delay
SG-based livestream commerce firm Mdada.live names PR partner, launches hub
Social climbing – growing your brand in the moment through social eCommerce