The wife of Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, the son of the Sarawak chief minister, stood her ground in the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court today that her former husband owns nine luxury cars and also owns or holds shares in 20 companies that are worth RM1.34 billion.

 

Shahnaz A Majid, who was testifying in her RM100 million claim for mutaah (a gift for an ex-wife after divorce), was asked by Mahmud Abu Bekir's lawyer Saadiah Din as to how she knew that the assets or cars were owned by Bekir, to which she replied she hired someone to take the photographs.

 

"I also hired a renowned audit firm, Baker Tilly, to estimate his assets. I sat down with the representatives of the firm and they showed me documents from each and every firm, which I verified they were companies he owns or has stakes in," she said.

 

In her examination-in-chief, Shahnaz had testified that Bekir ( left ) is worth more than RM1 billion and has stakes or shares in 49 companies.

 

However, the audit report is on the 20 out of the 49 companies as it could not find details on the others.

 

Baker Tilly is the eighth largest auditing firm in the world and the person who prepared the report is expected be present when the trial resumes on Jan 22.

 

The table prepared by Baker Tilly, said Shahnaz who is also a former general manager and executive director of Sarawak Securities Sdn Bhd, lists the net assets after liabilities have been deducted.

 

Although she did not state the RM1.34 billion figure during the proceedings, the audit report, which had been tendered in court, stipulates this amount.

 

Among the companies which have audited reports and referred by Baker Tilly are Achi Jaya Communications Sdn Bhd, Bumi Time Extra Sdn Bhd and Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd.

Other audited companies include Central Paragon Sdn Bhd, Daya Shukra Sdn Bhd, Digamma Sdn Bhd, Double Versatile Sdn Bhd, Espatial Resources Sdn Bhd, Graceful Design Sdn Bhd, Infratech Geotechnique Sdn Bhd, Kris Sakti Holdings Sdn Bhd, Kris Sakti Petroleum Sdn Bhd, Man15 Sdn Bhd, Pehin Sri Heritage Sdn Bhd, Pelitamas Bumi Sdn Bh, Sarawak Capital Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Cable Bhd, Sure Versatile Sdn Bhd, Trenergy Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, and Titanium Management Sdn Bhd.

 

Luxury cars

 

Shahnaz also said she asked her employee, Farah Nazli, to take pictures of her former husband's nine luxury cars, which included a Bentley Coupe, a Lamborghini, two Ferraris and two Audis.

 

She said the pictures were taken at her former husband's home in Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

However the witness admitted that two of the photographs which were tendered in court namely of an Audi A6 and a Toyota Alphard, were retrieved from a website.

“However, I have seen him in those cars as he picks my son up in them. I know this as I see my son off and the pictures depicted represent the two cars.

 

Later during re-examination by Shahnaz's counsel, Akbardin Abdul Kader, she told the court that her former husband had not sought her permission to marry Hiley or anyone else.

 

“I do not also have knowledge whether he submitted any application to the Syariah court asking permission for polygamy. I do not know whether there is any application for it.

 

“I have not also been served with papers from the court regarding his intention to practise it,” she said.

 

Shahnaz also said of the three cars she used only two are still in working condition.

 

She said the Jeep which is 14 years' old is not working while the BMW S3 is used by her son while she has been using the Mercedes since 2000.

 

Replying to further question s from her other counsel Rafie Mohd Shafie ( left ), Shahnaz said her husband came back sparingly and they have not had any sexual intercourse since 2001.

 

“He only comes to visit our son,” she said.

 

Earlier in the morning proceedings, Shahnaz in replying to questions from Saadiah, said she will call several authors of articles to which she referred to in her statement of claim.

 

The trial continues before Syariah High Court judge Mohd Abdul Karim Wahab on Jan 22.