JUDGMENT

Azhahari Kamal Ramli JCA:

Introduction

[1] This is an appeal by the appellant, who is the husband (respondent in the High Court), against the decision of the learned High Court Judge (HCJ) in dismissing his application for a variation of the interim maintenance order dated 9 December 2019 in favour of the respondent/wife petitioner in the High Court.

[2] In this judgment, the appellant will be referred to as "the husband", and the respondent will be referred to as "the wife."

Background Facts

[3] Both the husband and wife were married on 3 July 1999. They are blessed with 2 children, a boy who was born on 9 August 2002 and a girl who was born on 14 December 2004.

[4] The husband is a shareholder, Director and an Executive Director of the Valiram Group, one of the largest retail empires for luxury and branded goods in South East Asia.

[5] After their marriage, both the wife and the husband lived at the husband's family home in Sentul where they resided until 2009 before moving to a condominium at a high-scale neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur.

[6] During the marriage, the wife has been enjoying a luxurious lifestyle provided by the husband. Among others, she was provided with a chauffeur-driven car, full-time maid, club membership at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, supplementary credit cards with credit limit of between RM100,000.00 and RM250,000.00, overseas vacations, travelling on first class/business class for overseas vacation and expensive handbags, watches and dresses. The husband also had purchased a unit at St Regis where renovation costs for the unit were estimated around RM5,500,000.00.

[7] Over the years, their marital relationship deteriorated. The couple had frequent quarrels and conflicts. In October 2017, the husband left the condominium. The wife, however, remains.

[8] In September 2018, the wife commenced divorce proceedings by filing a divorce petition. Thereafter, the wife filed an application for interim relief. On 9 December 2019, the High Court granted her various forms of relief. The husband has been ordered to maintain the wife and the children of the marriage in the interim, pending the disposal of the divorce petition.