24-year-old Cambodian ex-wife of deadbeat 54-year-old Malyasian assemblyman asks for RM3 million in divorce settlement

Siti Aishah Chou Abdullah entering the Kota Baru Syariah High Court with her two children, Wan Ahmad Firdaus and Wan Nor Salwa.

Assemblyman's ex-wife asks for RM3 million [~$805,000]

2009/03/04
New Straits Times (Malaysia)

KOTA BARU: The former Cambodian wife of Pas Melor assemblyman Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh is claiming RM3 million for mutaah (compensation/gift for wife to start a new life after divorce).

Counsel Mohd Sibri Ismail for Siti Aishah Chou Abdullah, told Syariah High Court judge Abdullah Man that his client was entitled to the compensation because throughout their marriage she had never disgraced him and had always protected the honour and safety of their children.

He said Siti Aishah, 24, had also been loyal to her husband.

"The claim is a gift for my client who is now a single mother after she divorced Wan Ismail last year.

"It is for her expenses and also for her to take care of her children's welfare."

Wan Ismail, 54, and his lawyer Mohd Zaki Zainal Abidin were not present in court.

Abdullah postponed the hearing to April 21.

Outside the court, Siti Aishah said she hoped the court would consider her claim.

"My former husband promised me many things during our marriage, including buying me a house and a luxury car but until we divorced, he failed to fulfil his promises.

"He also did not pay me any maintenance for our children after we divorced. Because of this, I have to work to support myself and the children," said the headscarf seller.

The two were married in Kuala Lumpur in 2003 and divorced last April. The couple have two children -- Wan Ahmad Firdaus, 4, and Wan Nor Salwa, 3.

Wan Ismail has nine children with his first wife.

Cambodian woman cries wolf on errant husband

Wed, 27 Feb 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - An abandoned pregnant wife and mother tracked down her errant husband and incited an angry mob to chase and corner him by yelling "Help! Thief," a local newspaper reported Wednesday. The Koh Santepheap daily reported Chun Ly, 42, tracked her husband down in the northern tourist town of Siem Reap, more than 400 kilometres from the capital, to take her revenge.

The paper said the man had taken off with the couple's new motorbike three months earlier, leaving Ly pregnant and caring for three young children alone.

Ly waited until he was cornered by the mob and weeping in terror, before wading through the crowd and revealing he was actually not a thief but just a deadbeat dad, the paper reported.

The trick was a dangerous one for the husband. A lack of faith in the police and judiciary has made mob lynchings and killings of suspected criminals commonplace in Cambodia.

The paper said it was unclear whether Ly's prank had convinced the man to return home, or at least to return the motorbike.