KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Former Miss Malaysia Pauline Chai has won her battle to divorce her billionaire husband in the UK, where she stands to gain half his estimated £400 million (RM2.1 billion) fortune in what could be the biggest such settlement in British history.
The Mail Online website reported that the 68-year-old was granted a decree nisi today in London’s Central Family Court following her application to divorce tycoon Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng.
Khoo, 77, is the non-executive chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings — the international fashion and interiors brand.
Neither was present in the court today. Both parties were represented by lawyers, Mail Online reported.
A decree nisi is an interim order that becomes binding once set conditions are fulfilled.
Chai, who was Miss Malaysia in 1969, and Khoo are currently embroiled in a battle to have their case heard at different states.
Chai is seeking for her case to be tried in the UK where she could win half of his fortune while Koo is attempting to have the case heard in Malaysia, where he would likely retain more of his wealth.
Khoo is arguing that they were married in Malaysia where he also maintains his official residence, and he would also risk losing less of his wealth if the trial is held here.
In June last year, the Court of Appeal here ruled that Khoo and Chai’s multi-billion ringgit divorce trial will be heard here after ruling that the common law rule that a wife’s domicile follows that of her husband was not unconstitutional, despite Khoo having given up her Malaysian citizenship.
She then filed to challenge the constitutionality of the domicile rule at the Federal Court.
