Latest news with #StanleyThai
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Wife of Supermax boss wins key appeal over asset dissipation order
Supermax co-founders Stanley Thai and Tan Bee Geok are in the midst of a divorce battle. PUTRAJAYA : Tan Bee Geok, the estranged wife of Supermax chairman Stanley Thai, scored a significant legal victory in their ongoing divorce proceedings on Friday, after the Court of Appeal ruled that banks may freeze his accounts under a High Court order issued in January last year. Announcing the unanimous decision, Justice Supang Lian said the High Court fell into error by amending its initial order following an application Thai made to clarify its terms. 'The learned High Court judge erred in allowing the clarification application which had the effect of changing the entire nature of the original order. 'The High Court judge's decision in amending the order to state that the banks did not have the power to freeze (Thai's) accounts was erroneous,' the judge said. Supang said banks did indeed have the power and obligation to freeze Thai's accounts pursuant to the original intent of the order. The Court of Appeal also ruled that Justice Evrol Mariette Peters was wrong to delete the phrase 'Supermax Corporation Berhad, if any,' from the text of the original order. Supang said any shares held by Thai in the publicly listed entity would also be subject to the freezing effect of the order. 'The appeal is allowed in part, with costs of RM10,000 payable by the husband to the wife, subject to allocatur,' said Supang, chairing a three-member panel which included Justices Choo Kah Sing and Alwi Abdul Wahab. The court, however, left intact an amendment Peters made stating that the order was to take effect on Jan 10, 2024, as the matter had not been challenged by Tan in the appeal. Tan was represented by lawyers Frederic Kong, Avinash Kamalanatan and Jessica Leong, while Chris Chin appeared for Thai. Peters had on Jan 10 last year issued an order preventing Thai from dissipating more than half of his assets as at that date. The order covered land in Ijok, Selangor; a condominium in Subang Jaya; multiple bank accounts; EPF funds; and shares held in 'Supermax Corporation, if any,' Supermax Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Global Charm Corporate Ltd, a corporation based in Hong Kong. Tan's application was made under Section 102 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976. The section provides that a court may prevent a spouse from disposing assets with the intention of depriving the other spouse's right to any part of their matrimonial property. Peters subsequently amended the order to remove Supermax Corporation from the list. She also inserted a clause to stipulate that her order was not intended to empower banks to freeze Thai's accounts. The amended order further permitted Thai to continue receiving his salary, bonuses and dividends in a particular bank account provided it retained at least half of its funds as at Jan 10, 2024. Tan appealed to have those amendments removed. Thai and Tan are co-founders of Supermax, one of the world's leading glovemakers. They were married in 1987, but saw their relationship deteriorate amid allegations from both sides. In 2022, Tan sought a judicial separation. Thai filed for divorce in April last year. Proceedings are ongoing in the family court in Kuala Lumpur. Peters presided over the case until her recent promotion to the Court of Appeal.
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Ex-badminton ace's court date with Supermax boss postponed
Stanley Thai (right) wants the High Court to bar the media and public from a defamation trial brought by former national badminton player Robert Lin against him. KUALA LUMPUR : Former national badminton player Robert Lin Woon Fui saw the trials of his defamation suits against Supermax founder Stanley Thai and another businessman, both scheduled to start today, delayed to 2027. Judicial commissioner Eddie Yeo rescheduled the trials for March 29, 30 and 31, 2027. Lin is suing Thai and Teh Chee Kien over statements they allegedly made three years ago, claiming their remarks were false, baseless and maliciously published. He says the statements have damaged his reputation. Last month, Thai and Teh each filed applications for protective orders over their respective cases. Both applications are fixed for hearing on Sept 19. Yeo also directed that Thai and Teh file affidavits by Aug 20, and for all parties to file their written submissions by Sept 10. Lin was represented by Tan Lee Kiat, while G Rajasingam appeared for Thai and Teh. Thai and Teh's protective order applications mirror one filed by Thai in another defamation suit brought against him by his estranged wife, Tan Bee Geok, also due to be heard by Yeo on the same date. Thai and Teh want the court to hold their respective trials behind closed doors and are asking for the media to be barred from covering the proceedings. They also want all court documents sealed and for court transcripts to remain confidential and available only to the parties and their lawyers, with transcribers made to sign non-disclosure agreements. Both men claim their respective trials touch on personal and familial matters which are private and not of public interest. Thai and Teh, both represented by Shearn Delamore & Co, also claim the trials may involve examining the private lives of the parties and their witnesses. They say the parties and their witnesses are of substantial social and commercial standing, and that one witness is about to get married and fearful of repercussions that a public trial may bring. Law firm Nazri Aziz Masura Mak & Tan is acting for Lin in both suits. Lin represented the country in the men's doubles event at the 2006 World Cup, where he was a silver medalist. He also won bronze medals for Malaysia at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and the 2007 SEA Games, held in Thailand. Thai and Tan jointly own Supermax Holdings Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder in Supermax Corporation Bhd, one of the world's leading producers of rubber gloves. They were married in 1987, but saw their relationship deteriorate amid allegations from both sides. In 2022, Tan sought a judicial separation. Thai filed for divorce in April last year. Those proceedings are ongoing in the family court.
Free Malaysia Today
04-08-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Supermax co-founder to oppose husband Stanley Thai's media blackout bid
Tan Bee Geok is suing Stanley Thai over statements he made three years ago which she claims were calculated to shame her as a mother, relative and business leader. PETALING JAYA : The estranged wife of Supermax founder Stanley Thai is opposing his application to bar the media and public from their high-stakes defamation suit. Tan Bee Geok, co-founder of the glovemaking giant, will contend at the hearing that Thai has no grounds to oppose a public hearing since he claims his impugned statements are true. Tan also claims that Thai's statements were circulated beyond their household. For that reason, she says, it would be fundamentally unjust to shut the courtroom doors in a lawsuit brought to seek redress for harm allegedly suffered in the public domain. Tan will argue that an open trial is a fundamental principle of Malaysia's legal system and that any discomfort felt is normal to all litigants. She is also expected to take issue with the late filing of Thai's application, saying it disrupted the trial which had been scheduled to start last month. On Wednesday, Tan filed an affidavit setting out her reasons for opposing the application. Thai has until Aug 6 to file his reply. Judicial Commissioner Eddie Yeo will hear the application on Sept 19. Tan is suing Thai over a series of text messages and verbal remarks allegedly made to family and friends three years ago—statements, she claims, were calculated to shame her as a mother, relative and business leader. With the trial set to begin on July 23, Thai made an eleventh-hour application for a sweeping gag order to limit any potential harm to his personal and professional reputation. He said he was also looking to shield several high-profile witnesses he intended to call to testify on his behalf. In his application, Thai asked for the court to hold the trial behind closed doors, seal all court documents, and impose a media blackout of the proceedings. He said the trial touches on matters that are confidential and private, and that they only involve familial matters that do not warrant public interest. Thai, 65, is also understood to be calling several well-known individuals to testify, including a former national badminton player, a distinguished businessman and the manager of a renowned international artiste. The tycoon did not name them but said one witness was about to get married and would not want past romantic relationships brought out into the open. Thai also seeks other protective measures, including an order that all court transcripts remain confidential and be made available only to the parties and their lawyers. He also wants all transcribers to sign non-disclosure agreements. Tan, 64, is represented in the suit by S Ravenesan, while Shearn Delamore & Co acts for Thai. Thai and Tan jointly own Supermax Holdings Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder in Supermax Corporation Berhad, one of the world's leading producers of rubber gloves. They were married in 1987, but saw their relationship deteriorate amid allegations from both sides. In 2022, Tan sought a judicial separation. Thai filed for divorce in April last year. Those proceedings are ongoing in the family court.
Free Malaysia Today
29-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Court to hear Thai's media blackout bid before defamation trial begins
Supermax co-founders Stanley Thai and Tan Bee Geok were married in 1987, but are in the midst of divorce proceedings. KUALA LUMPUR : The High Court today ruled that it will hear Supermax founder Stanley Thai's bid to exclude the media and public from a high-profile defamation suit brought by his estranged wife, Tan Bee Geok, before proceeding with its trial. Judicial Commissioner Eddie Yeo said there was a need for the court to uphold the interests of justice, adding that the law vests judicial discretion with the courts as regards the grant of adjournments. 'The application in Enclosure 176 (the protective order application) shall be dealt with expeditiously, with sufficient time afforded to both parties to ventilate their positions,' said Yeo. He directed Tan to file her affidavit opposing the application by July 30, and Thai to put in his reply by Aug 8. Both parties were ordered to file their written submissions simultaneously on Aug 13, and their respective replies by Aug 20. Yeo then fixed the application for hearing on Sept 19. He also struck off a stay application filed by Thai two days ago with no order as to costs. The trial, originally scheduled to begin today, was paused to address a notice of application filed on July 11 seeking to bar the media and public from access to proceedings over concerns about privacy and reputational harm. Tan, 64, co-founder of the glovemaking giant, is suing Thai over a series of statements allegedly made to family and friends three years ago, which she claims were calculated to shame her as a mother, relative and business leader. Thai, 65, argues that the trial involves sensitive familial matters and is not of public interest. He is also seeking confidentiality over court transcripts and wants transcribers to sign non-disclosure agreements. Thai's application raises a novel legal question: can a defendant in a defamation suit, accused of damaging the plaintiff's public reputation, restrict public access to proceedings initiated to restore that reputation?. Thai is also understood to be calling several well-known individuals to testify, including a former national badminton player, a distinguished businessman and the manager of a renowned international artiste. The tycoon did not name his witnesses, but said one of them was about to get married and would not want past romantic relationships brought out into the open. The application filed by Thai's solicitors, Shearn Delamore & Co, also seeks other protective measures, including an order that all court transcripts remain confidential and be made available only to the parties and their lawyers. He also wants all transcribers to sign non-disclosure agreements. Thai was represented by lawyer G Rajasingam today, while Tan was represented by S Ravenesan. Thai and Tan jointly own Supermax Holdings Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder in Supermax Corporation Berhad, one of the world's leading producers of rubber gloves. They were married in 1987, but saw their relationship deteriorate amid allegations from both sides. In 2022, Tan sought a judicial separation. Thai filed for divorce in April last year. Those proceedings are ongoing in the family court.
Free Malaysia Today
19-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Supermax boss wants court's doors shut in bitter legal spat with wife
The trial of Tan Bee Geok's defamation suit against husband Stanley Thai is scheduled to begin in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 23. KUALA LUMPUR : Supermax founder and chairman Stanley Thai wants the High Court to conduct the trial of a defamation suit brought against him by his estranged wife behind closed doors. Tan Bee Geok, 64, co-founder and deputy chairman of the glovemaking giant, is suing Thai over a series of text messages and verbal remarks allegedly made to family and friends three years ago – statements, she claims, that were calculated to shame her as a mother, relative and business leader. With the trial set to begin on July 23, Thai wants the High Court to impose a sweeping gag order to limit any potential harm to his personal and professional reputation. He is also looking to shield several high-profile witnesses he intends to call to testify on his behalf. The application raises a significant and potentially unprecedented legal question in Malaysia: can a defendant, accused in a defamation suit of damaging the plaintiff's public reputation, restrict the public from proceedings initiated by the plaintiff to restore that reputation? FMT understands that Thai had, in the application filed last week, asked for the court to hold the trial behind closed doors, seal all court documents, and impose a media blackout of the proceedings. He claims that the trial touches on matters that are confidential and private. He says they only involve familial matters and are not of public interest. Thai, 65, is also understood to be calling several well-known individuals to testify, including a former national badminton player, a distinguished businessman and the manager of a renowned international artiste. The tycoon did not name his witnesses, but said one of them was about to get married and would not want past romantic relationships brought out into the open. The application filed by Thai's solicitors, Shearn Delamore & Co, also seeks other protective measures, including an order that all court transcripts remain confidential and be made available only to the parties and their lawyers. He also wants all transcribers to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA). It is fixed for case management before Judicial Commissioner Eddie Yeo on July 23. Tan is represented in the suit by S Ravenesan. Thai and Tan jointly own Supermax Holdings Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder in Supermax Corporation Berhad, one of the world's leading producers of rubber gloves. They were married in 1987, but saw their relationship deteriorate amid allegations from both sides. In 2022, Tan sought a judicial separation. Thai filed for divorce in April last year. Those proceedings are ongoing in the family court.
