Justice Evrol Mariette Peters also ordered Thai to pay Tan another RM30,000 in costs.
Both payments must be made within 14-days, failing which Thai will be sent to jail until he purges the contempt.
Peters, who delivered her broad grounds last Friday, said Thai has until March 31 to comply with the January 2024 court order to avoid being imprisoned for contempt.
She said Tan had proven beyond reasonable doubt Thai’s wilful refusal to follow the court’s instructions, rather than failing to comply due to ignorance, inability or external circumstances.
The order states that Thai has to file an affidavit to disclose his assets and bank accounts in Malaysia and overseas.
The objective was to protect matrimonial assets from improper dissipation during divorce proceedings.
Peters said Thai’s contention that the order was unclear is untenable.
She said Thai’s failure to seek clarification from the court, if at all he was unclear of his obligations, suggested that he fully understood the other terms.
“Therefore, I conclude that the husband had deliberately and wilfully refused to comply with the terms of the court order,” she said.
“Contempt proceedings are not about punishing someone for failing to comply with an order that benefits or harms the other party.
“Rather, it concerns actions that disrupt or undermine the integrity and authority of the judicial system itself. The principles of contempt apply equally to all, regardless of one’s identity or position.”
Thai and Tan – founders of Supermax Corp Bhd – were married in August 1987 and have three children.
Their union suffered after numerous allegations were made by both parties against the other.
Tan filed for judicial separation in April 2022, while Thai filed his divorce petition in April last year. –FMT
