KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — A Syariah court today allowed a bank employee to give evidence of wealthy businessman Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Abdul Taib’s bank accounts despite objections based on a law protecting the information of bank clients.

Assistant vice-president of CIMB Bank’s Customer Resolution Department, P. Magendran Pillai, today testified that the son of Sarawak’s former chief minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud owned over RM8.25 million in six bank accounts as of September 2012.

Testifying for Abu Bekir’s former wife Shahnaz Abdul Majid in a divorce case, Magendran revealed Abu Bekir’s bank statements from current and fixed deposit accounts held in CIMB.

Abu Bekir’s lawyer Saadiah Din objected to the disclosure, reminding the bank employee that he was bound by customer confidentiality laws under the Banking and Financial Institution Act (BAFIA) 1989.

But Shariah High Court judge Muhamad Abdul Karim Wahab today overruled the objection.

Magendran said he did not have Abu Bekir’s permission to reveal the details in court but added that he was testifying as a witness due to a court subpoena.

The judge also rejected Saadiah’s bid to press Magendran’s for proof of authorisation from CIMB to testify, pointing out that the bank employee was already compelled to be a court witness.

“Not needed. The court has asked him to testify,” the judge said.

During cross-examination, Magendran disagreed that he had breached the confidentiality policy under BAFIA.

He said BAFIA contained exceptions to the confidentiality policy, allowing him to give details of Bekir’s bank account details in court.

The hearing resumes on June 3, with Shahnaz’s third witness, Maybank Customer Service Department manager Mursinah Manaf to continue her testimony.

Abu Bekir’s lawyers are then expected to call three or four witnesses.

Abu Bekir himself is also yet to testify.

Shahnaz, who is the sister of popular singer Datuk Sheila Majid, has previously testified that Abu Bekir has an estimated RM1 billion in assets locally and some US$700 million (RM2.2 billion) in bank accounts globally. 

She is now seeking RM400 million in divorce settlement, including RM300 million worth in matrimonial property and a further RM100 million in “mutaah”, or Islamic conciliatory payment, as well as half the assets owned by her ex-husband, including some seven luxury cars, thousands of hectares of land in Sarawak and homes in countries abroad.

On June 10, the court will also hear Shahnaz's RM121 million suit against Abu Bekir for child maintenance for their son Raden Murya Taib Mahmud.

Abu Bekir filed for divorce from Shahnaz on May 11, 2011, almost two decades after they married in 1992.