PAS' Melor assemblyperson Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh's ex-wife Siti Aishah Chou Abdullah told the Kota Baharu Syariah Court High Court today that her ex-husband could afford to pay the RM3 million in mutaah (compensation) which she was seeking.

Siti Aishah, who is Wan Ismail's former second wife, said this was because her ex-husband used to tell her that he had savings worth RM1 million in unit trusts and other assets.

"He also had rubber estates in Gua Musang and a company abroad," she said when questioned by her counsel Mohd Sibri Ismail.

Siti Aishah,25, a Cambodian, had on Jan 4 this year applied for a court order for her ex-husband to pay her muta'ah of RM3 million in the interest of her welfare and that of their two children, Wan Mohd Firdaus, 4, and Wan Nor Salwa, 3, under the Kelantan Islamic Family Law Enactment 2002.

She broke down in tears when telling the court of her life after her divorce from Wan Ismail on April 16 last year.

"I'm disappointed because as a convert, I need guidance to bring up my children, who are still young, and has pleaded with him for us to reconcile," she said.

Failed to pay alimony

She also said that during her marriage, she had asked Wan Ismail for a car, house and capital to start her own business, but he did not give in to her request as he wanted her to concentrate on bringing up the children first.

Siti Aishah, who now runs her own business, said he ex-husband had also failed to pay the alimony of RM500 a month for each of their children.

"During the three-month 'edah' (period barring a woman from remarriage after divorce), I had to pay the rental for the house at Taman Tanjong Chat here myself," she added.

Lawyer Mohd Raziman Yaccub, who represented Wan Ismail, then requested for the court to postpone the hearing as he needed time to prepare questions for him to cross-examine the plaintiff following confusion in the date for today's hearing.

Judge Abdullah Man set Dec 3 to continue hearing.

Wan Ismail was not in court today and according to Mohd Raziman, he was in Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage.

- Bernama