Ex-wife made baseless allegations out of anger, says Taib’s son

Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib told the Shariah High Court today that it did not make sense for his ex-wife to claim that his father, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud – the former chief minister of Sarawak – was the richest man in Malaysia.

Mahmud Abu Bekir was testifying in the RM100 million muta'ah, or Islamic conciliatory payment, suit by his ex-wife Shahnaz Majid (pic) in her divorce claim against him.

He also testified that Shahnaz's claims against him were wild allegations that arose from her anger.

"Every allegations are caused by her anger and they are either baseless or untrue.

"She even said my father is the richest man in Malaysia, that does not make sense, that is a result of her anger where she is claiming for hundreds of millions, I also do not understand this," he said when questioned by his lawyer Datuk Zainul Rijal today.

Mahmud Abu Bekir also denied Shahnaz's claim that he was the executive chairman of Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad which was involved in businesses and investments worth billions.

"Yes, I am a businessman but I am not the executive chairman of Cahya Mata Sarawak, I am the deputy chairman, and the company is not doing businesses involving billions, that does not make sense, millions maybe yes," he said.

Mahmud Abu Bekir also said that Shahnaz's accountant Andrew Heng was the one that said he had a land bank worth hundreds of millions.

"He did not even see the land, he said there is oil palm and profits, but there is only undergrowth there on the land," he said.

He added that the land was given to his company by the state government in lieu of payment for the bridges built by his company.

"The state government did not have sufficient funds to pay us, so they paid us partly in kind with the land," he told the Shariah Court.

Mahmud Abu Bekir also denied claims in news articles that appeared in Harakah in March 2011, quoting the Sarawak Report, that his companies were given preference in the awarding of contracts in the state.

"Whenever CMS was involved in any contract and it had to go through the office of the chief minister or the state cabinet, my father would always declare his interest to the other ministers and leave the meeting.

The deputy CM will then chair and all decisions were made without my father's presence in those instances," he testified.

The defendant added that the reports were all lies meant to tarnish his family and father Tun Taib Mahmud's name.

"This is all a political game, they are trying to paint me as someone who is irresponsible and rich to the point of having billions.

"The also alleged that my father has extraordinary wealth overseas but these are all lies by the Sarawak Report," he testified.

Mahmud Abu Bekir also denied that his earnings and properties were worth billions of ringgit.

He also refuted allegations that he had treated his ex-wife badly and had physically abused her, saying instead that he had only tried to stop her once from scratching his face.

"She wanted to scratch me so I held her hand and pushed her and she fell on the carpet but I did not hit or strangle her.

"And I have never hit her, I have never hit anyone, not my son, nor my maid, I am always gentle, even with my employees," he said.

The defendant testified instead that it was Shahnaz who was always angry.

"She would scold me, nothing I do is ever right.

"Same with the maid, everything is not right, she only gets angry, so the maids never stay for long," he said.

The defendant also testified that when they were married, Shahnaz had always made baseless allegations against him, even when he went out for "teh tarik" with friends.

"She would ask all kinds of questions, who I was with, was there a woman in the group and so on," he said.

He also told the court that he did not see his ex-wife as having gone through any mental or emotional distress during their marriage, except that she was always angry.

"I don't know why she would have any emotional or mental pressure because what she wants, I give and I had always been gentle towards her," he told the court.

Hearing before Judge Muhamad Abdul Karim Wahab continues on September 8.

Shahnaz, who is the sister of popular singer Datuk Sheila Majid, and Mahmud Abu Bekir married in January 1992 and have a 20-year-old son, Raden Murya.

Mahmud Abu Bekir filed for divorce in May 2011.

Shahnaz is asking for RM100 million muta'ah, or Islamic conciliatory payment, in her divorce claim against him. – September 2, 2014.