Former Malaysian beauty queen fights for divorce case to be heard in UK

Former beauty queen Pauline Chai is pushing to have her divorce case with tycoon Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng be carried out in the British courts based on the vast collection of designer shoes as proof that she is living in the United Kingdom.

Chai, 67, told the court she has more than 700 pairs of shoe kept in the bedrooms, corridors and the basement of the couple’s RM156 million home in Hertfordshire.

The former Miss Malaysia 1969 is fighting for her case to be heard in the UK, where she is likely to receive a bigger settlement from the divorce.

Meanwhile, 75-year-old Khoo, chairman of international brand Laura Ashley, wants the case to be heard in Malaysia, where he is based.

'I have got like 1,000 pairs of shoes,' Chai told the High Court on Friday.

'All these were added up from 43 years. I accumulate them,” reported The Telegraph.co.uk

Khoo’s lawyer had presented photographs of Chai’ wardrobes in Kuala Lumpur to the court, claiming she had just as much designer apparels stored at other homes.

Chai responded by saying that was only a ‘small part of her collection’ and that she left them behind because they were out of date, while the handbags were too ‘chunky’ to be carried.

"When you have houses all over the world and you travel so much [you have some at each house] so you don't have to carry it all along with you," Chai was quoted as saying.

The couple, who have five children together, is embroiled in a bitter and expensive divorce case that has reportedly raked up nearly RM10 million in lawyers’ fees.

Chai filed a divorce petition in London in February against Khoo, citing unreasonable behaviour.

Khoo, who owns 40 per cent of Laura Ashley and international investment holding company Malayan United Industries Bhd, is among the wealthiest person in Malaysia.

Chai denied that she is not divorcing her husband for settlement money but to get away from “an abusive, oppressive relationship.”

She had earlier accused the tycoon of rationing her food and forbidding her from leaving their house without his permission.

Lawyers said that she could possibly be awarded up RM2.5 billion, making it the largest divorce settlement in UK history.