Sarawak governor Abdul Taib Mahmud’s son Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib admitted today at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court that he is worth RM1.185 billion, based on a report produced by his ex-wife's hired auditor.

Bekir said his net asset is worth that much from 20 companies which he owns or which he is a director, as according to the report made by auditing firm Ferrer Hodgson MH Sdn Bhd.

Ferrer Hodgson was hired by Bekir's former wife Shahnaz A Majid to estimate her husband's net worth where auditor Andrew Heng had testified that the son of former chief minister is worth between RM916 million to RM1.334 billion.

Today when asked by Shahnaz's lawyer Rafie Shafie on his net assets, Bekir who paused to perform mental arithmetic, admitted that based on what is written in the report, he is worth RM1.185 billion.

While he was taking some time to perform his calculation, judge Muhamad Abdul Karim Wahab quipped that he was wondering how this case can be completed by June next year.

The judge was referring to Bekir's earlier testimony that he had hired public relations company GRA Communications to counter allegations against him and his family and has to pay the company RM890,400 for two years, beginning June 1, 2014.

"However, that may not include liabilities," the witness claimed when asked about the report which was tendered as evidence.

70,000ha land given as payment

Bekir added that he owns 50 companies, of which two are listed, and the rest are self-owned companies.

He also admitted that he did not submit any reports or evidence to rebut Shahnaz's auditor's claim of his net assets.

Bekir was testifying in the RM100 million‎ 'mutaah' (gift following divorce) claim by Shahnaz ( photo ) following their divorce in 2011. Besides this, Shahnaz is claiming another RM300 million for joint matrimonial assets and another RM121 million for child maintenance.

Earlier he agreed with Rafie that he had not lived together with Shahnaz for 12 years and four months before their divorce.

Bekir also told the court that Cahya Mata Sarawak is worth about RM120 million, but although Sarawak Cable was worth RM30 million in 2011, it has a lot of liabilities.

He testified that his company Titanium Management Sdn Bhd was given 70,000ha of land as payment from the state government for not being able to come up with the payment for construction of bridges.

“Titanium is appointed to construct more than 300 small bridges in Sarawak and the land was given to my company as payment for the construction.

When asked whether he could provide documentary evidence of the transaction and to his claim that the land was given as payment since the state cannot pay, Bekir said this happened in 2003, after months of discussions and that he could not provide the documents now.

He further said that most of the land had been sold off to meet the company's commitment to build the bridges.

Bekir said his share of Titanium in 2003 was about 60 percent, adding that the net assets are now worth RM20 million after the land was sold.

Bekir added that another company, Essential Straits Sdn Bhd, was also given 5,000ha land as payment for the construction of more bridges. Similarly, Ground Oak Sdn Bhd was given 3,900ha land, while another company owns about 24,000ha land.

Father not involved in decision-making

Bekir however protected his father Taib ( photo ) by saying that the longtime former chief minister was not involved in any of the state's decision-making process on matters related to his family.

“My father would leave the cabinet meeting in any decisions concerning family-related companies,” he said.

Rafie: How do you know this?

Bekir: This is the procedure.

Rafie : Who told you so?

Bekir: No one told me.

Rafie : This is only your assumption.

Bekir: Not true.

The hearing continues on Aug 4.