The Lower Syariah Court in Kuala Lumpur today set April 11 for the re-mention of the divorce petition filed by Shahnaz Abdul Majid, the daughter-in-law of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

NONE Judge Mohd Amirul Adam Ahmad set the date after syariah lawyer Saadiah Din, who is representing the defendant, Mahmud Abu Bekir Abdul Taib, informed the court that her client had initiated divorce proceedings on Feb 14.

 

She said the case had come up for mention on March 3 and had been set for re-mention on April 11.

"My client's divorce proceedings were initiated before the petition filed by the plaintiff," she said.

Earlier, she had told the court that her client was not able to be present in court because he was having health problems and was receiving treatment.

NONE Syariah lawyer Dr Mohd Rafie Mohd Shafie, who is representing Shahnaz, then asked the court to have both cases heard together as they involved the same issues.

However, Mohd Amirul Adam said the court could not accede to this as it was beyond his jurisdiction and furthermore, a divorce petition took a long time, up to a year and perhaps even more.

He said the court was giving the same re-mention dates for both the cases and would first looking into the husband's case, and if this was settled, it would apply to the petition as well.

NONE Shahnaz seeks RM400 mil payout

Shahnaz, 48, who is also the sister of Malaysian jazz queen Sheila Majid, had filed the petition on Feb 22 citing grounds that her husband had failed to discharge his marital duties since 2001.

She is seeking  RM100 million for 'mutaah' (alimony) and RM300 million for matrimonial property from her estranged husband.

The couple were married on Jan 9, 1992, and have a son, Raden Murya Abdul Taib Mahmud, 17.

- Bernama