Former Miss Malaysia’s divorce case remitted to KL High Court, application for stay dismissed

PUTRAJAYA: A former Miss Malaysia yesterday failed to stay a court ruling which allowed her estranged billionaire husband, Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng to hear their divorce petition in a Malaysian civil court.

A Court of Appeal panel headed by Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof dismissed the appeal by Pauline Chai Siew Phin to stay a Kuala Lumpur High Court’s ruling on Dec 11, last year allowing Khoo’s application not to dispense their marriage to a marriage tribunal in London.

Also on the panel were justices Datuk Mah Weng Kwai and Datuk David Wong Dak Wah.

However, the panel ordered the case to be remitted back to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to decide on the issue of domicile of both parties (Chai and Khoo).

It was also ordered that the High Court was to decide on the juridisction of which court could hear the divorce case.

Wong, who read an oral judgment, also ordered the two issues to be decided by a new judge of the High Court.

He said the panel was of the view that the High Court judge who heard Khoo’s application was in error in her decision over the issue of domicile as there were too many disputes over the facts.

On Dec 11 last year, Family Court judge Datuk Noraini Abdul Rahman allowed Khoo’s application not to dispense their marriage to a marriage tribunal in London.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Chai, 67, who was Miss Malaysia/ International 1969, brought up the case to the Court of Appeal.

Counsel K Shanmuga, representing Chai told reporters that his client had said she was no longer domiciled in Malaysia since 1980 and until now, lived in England.

“Thus, she said the English Court is to decide the divorce case,” he said.

In February last year, Chai filed the divorce petition in a London court, seeking a 500- million pound ( approximately RM2.75 billion) settlement.

Chai had also won other beauty pageants, including Miss Princess Malaysia 1969 and Miss Tourism Penang 1969. The couple married in 1970 and have five children.

Khoo, who was represented by counsel Y N Foo, currently resides in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Khoo is the chairman of international investment holdings company, Malayan United Industries Bhd that is primarily engaged in retailing, hotels, food and confectionery, financial services and property. — Bernama