Shahnaz A Majid has told the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court that she lived in a mansion in Petra Jaya, Sarawak, between 1993 and 2000 while married to Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib.

The matrimonial home, called Wisma Mahmud, was furnished with Italian furniture, she said, showing photographs of the residence.

Later in the afternoon proceedings, Shahnaz testified that her former husband also possessed several luxury cars including two Ferraris, a Lamborghini, a Bentley coupe, two Audis and a Toyota Alphard as some of the vehicles he owned.

NONEMahmud Abu Bekir (left in photo) is the son of long-time Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

"We lived in a three-storey bungalow with 12 rooms, where one room had been transformed into a kitchen. Another room was made into a study,” she said to questions from her counsel Rafie Mohd Shafie. Akbardin Abdul Kader is her co-counsel.

"Our house was next to... Taib's residence in Petra Jaya. This is not the chief minister's official residence but his private residence.”

Located by the Sarawak River, the unit is accessible by road as well as by boat via a private jetty, she said.

Shahnaz was testifying today in her RM100 million suit for the matrimonial gift following the couple's divorce. She is also pursuing a RM300 million claim on joint assets.

She described he ex-husband’s extravagant jetsetting lifestyle that involved travel and shopping all over Europe and Asia last year, saying his monthly expenses had amounted to more than RM100,000 on a single charge card.

The former wife related of expenditures in London, Dusseldorf, Germany and Paris, France as some of Mahmud Abu Bekir’s trips he made which he charged to his American Express platinum charge card during the first six months last year.

She had testified the same last year of her former husband’s RM780,000 expenses between January 2012 and June 2012, before the Syariah Court of Appeal ordered the matter to go for re-trial before a new judge.

Former hubby bought bungalow home

During the afternoon session, Shahnaz also revealed that Mahmud Abu Bekir had fixed deposits and current account which amounts to millions of ringgit, while he also holds Amanah Saham Bumiputera shares valued in excess of RM300,000.

She also mentioned about the luxury cars as mentioned above, with some valued in excess of RM1.5 million each.

On cross-examination later by Mahmud Abu Bekir’s lawyer Saadiah Din, Shahnaz testified that before marrying her former husband, she worked at the Arab Malaysian Development Bhd as an officer in the strategic planning division.

She told the court that upon marrying in January 1992, the couple moved to Sydney as her former husband aspired to finish his pilot’s course.

Upon returning back sometime in August 1992, they stayed at the matrimonial home until she left for Kuala Lumpur as a result of differences between the two in 2000.

“I left and initially stayed at my father-in-law’s home in Taman Duta. Then I moved in at my mother’s home in Damansara Heights and later my husband bought me a home in Damansara Heights for RM1.75 million. Now it is worth RM4 million,” said Shahnaz.

“He took a loan in buying the house placed under my name. However, I believe he has finished paying for it,” she said.

Shahnaz also told the court that the pictures of the Italian furniture which were tendered in court this morning were in fact from her father-in-law’s house. However, she maintained that the furniture of the matrimonial home were also from Italy as displayed in the pictures.

When asked by Saadiah, the witness agreed she does not know who owns the matrimonial home but said it could have belonged to the family.

Besides Saadiah, lawyer Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, who is also the Muslim Lawyers Association president, is the co-counsel for Mahmud Abu Bekir.

Syariah High Court judge Abdul Karim Ab Wahab fixed Jan 9 for continued hearing.