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A woman who held on to her crumbling marriage for the social status and privileges of being a tycoon's wife has been awarded over RM10.5 million

According to FMT, the divorce case resulted in what is believed to be one of the highest awards ever granted by a family court in Malaysia.The woman, a foreign national with permanent resident status in Malaysia, is referred to as Chan, while her husband, Shan, is a Malaysian entrepreneur and executive director of a prominent luxury retail company in Southeast Asia.In a 167-page written judgment, High Court Judge Evrol Mariette Peters said the couple had once enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle filled with travel, fame, and luxury, reported the New Straits Times.However, behind the scenes, the relationship had long disintegrated."What once seemed like a perfect love story slowly started falling apart, revealing deeper issues."Arguments grew, with accusations of cheating, jealousy, and mistrust."The pressure from society and constant scrutiny only made things worse, eventually leading to the marriage's messy breakdown," the judge noted.Peters stated that it became clear the wife's decision to stay in the marriage was driven less by love or hope for reconciliation, and more by a desire to preserve the social status and privileges associated with being her husband's spouse.This is evident in Chan's red carpet appearances alongside celebrities like Michael Kors, Kate Hudson, and members of the Kardashian family, as well as attending elite events, such as the Cannes Film Festival."These glimpses into her public life suggest that the wife valued the status and lifestyle afforded by her marriage more than the relationship itself," FMT quoted the judge as saying.

Image via The Kuala Lumpur Bar

The couple was married for 26 years and has two children

Initially, they lived with Shan's parents before moving into a penthouse in 2009.As tension grew over the years, especially after a recorded confrontation in October 2017 at the company's premises, Shan moved out to live separately.Chan also accused her husband of infidelity with two women. However, the judge found insufficient evidence to prove the first affair and ruled that the other relationship, which ended before 2015, did not result in the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, reported FMT.Peters said that although Shan's extramarital conduct may have strained the marriage, it was not the cause of its collapse. She also observed that Chan had tolerated and even forgiven the affair in 2015 before filing for divorce three years later.The judge pointed out that Chan had clung to an illusory marriage even after its emotional foundation had collapsed.Shan, meanwhile, remained disengaged, content with a stagnant marriage and unwilling to take meaningful steps to either repair or end it respectfully.She said this passivity only prolonged the emotional suffering for both parties.

Image via Indy100

The husband initially proposed a monthly maintenance of RM15,000 to RM20,000, but the wife pushed for RM230,000

In response, Peters said the request was "excessive, unjustifiable, and unreasonable"."Divorce is not a lottery, nor is it a revenue-generating exercise. It is not a tool for vindication or a means to exact revenge," said the judge.The total awards to Chan amounted to RM10.56 million. It will be paid in staggered instalments concluding in December 2027, reported the New Straits Times.The breakdown is as follows:– RM6.72 million as spousal maintenance, calculated based on her age, the retirement age in Malaysia, and life expectancy, with a monthly rate of RM35,000– RM2 million for Chan's share of the matrimonial home and household effects– RM1.04 million for her contributions to Shan's business– RM450,000 from Shan's EPF account– RM350,000 to purchase a replacement vehicleThe highly contentious trial spanned 80 days, involved 26 witnesses, and processed nearly 16,000 documents as evidence, underscoring the complexity of the legal, financial, and personal issues at stake.