SERDANG: A jobless Pakistani man who threw his children down 21 floors and then plunged to his death was afraid that his wife would be granted a divorce in court.
His wife, Shari Zuraidah Ridzuan, 31, claimed the Syariah court was due to make a decision on the divorce filed by her on August 8.
She claimed that the fear of being separated from his children could have prompted him to commit the dastardly act.
"He had attempted to do the same with my children last November and I subsequently lodged a police report," she said at the Serdang Hospital mortuary yesterday.
Zuraidah said the previous attempt by her husband, Ismail Khan, 39, was foiled by her nine--year--old son Mohd Faizal, who persuaded his father to take him and his six--year--old sister Aqsa Khan back home.
"We have been married for 10 years but for the last three, he had been jobless and did not make any effort to look for work. Unable to take it anymore, I left home last year to stay with my parents and filed for divorce."
Zuraidah, a senior executive in KL, said her husband refused to allow the children to be with her.
She said she had to support her family and provide for Ismail as well.
"After I filed for divorce, I told him to leave the house but he didn't listen. I had no choice but to leave my children with my maid and reckoned everything would be over when I eventually got my divorce."
She claimed her husband no longer loved her and the only reason he didn't end the marriage was because he wanted to obtain permanent residency status.
"His visa would have expired by end of July and he knew he would be deported if the divorce was approved."
Zuraidah claimed Ismail was a very emotional person and always tried to seek her sympathy.
She claimed that during one heated argument last year, he told her, "I will destroy your life one day."
She said she last saw her kids on Sunday, when she stayed over at their Langat Jaya condominium home as Ismail was away.
Kajang police chief ACP Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said the father and the two children had gone to the 21st floor and may have jumped from there as a schoolbag belonging to Mohd Faizal was found at the corridor.