Cover image via Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
A tense exchange erupted at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday during the legal battle over the estate of the late Genting heiress, Lim Siew Kim
The courtroom drama centred on a disputed second will that has never been produced in court, sparking fierce arguments between opposing legal counsels over its validity and contents, according to the New Straits Times.
The conflict intensified during the cross-examination of defence witness Datuk Low Beng Choo, 68, the sole trustee of the Dikim Foundation.
Under the disputed will, Dikim Foundation is said to be entitled to 70% of the residuary estate, which is valued at approximately RM1 billion.
Senior lawyer Datuk V Sithambaram repeatedly questioned how Low could legally verify the contents of this second will when neither the original document nor a duplicate copy was available in court.
Low maintained that her direct involvement in drafting the document allowed her to recall its contents from memory
The exchange became increasingly heated, with Low repeatedly attempting to elaborate on her answers, prompting Judge Mahazan Mat Taib to intervene and instruct her to respond directly to questions. She later apologised to the court.
The core of Sithambaram's cross-examination centred on a will dated 11 April 2022
Low testified that she prepared the document based on instructions allegedly given by Lim during a meeting at her Ampang Hilir residence in December 2021.
However, the court heard that the original document had since been destroyed, leaving no independent way to verify whether the altered distribution of assets among Lim's children and grandchildren reflected her true intentions.
It was also revealed that the second will was executed while Lim was hospitalised for stage four ovarian cancer and suffering from breathlessness caused by fluid in her lungs.
Sithambaram suggested the late heiress may not have been in a cognitive state to understand the nature of the assets she was disposing of, noting that no formal medical assessment of mental capacity was conducted prior to the signing.
Low denied the claim, insisting she disagreed that Lim lacked testamentary capacity.
The legal challenge was brought by Lim's daughters, Chan T'shiao Li and Kimberly Chan, who are contesting the validity of their late mother's final will, arguing that her severe medical condition impaired her mental capacity
Court documents showed a significant disparity in how the estate was distributed among family members.
T'shiao Li was left RM900,000, Kimberly received RM100,000, while their sister Chan T'shiao Yunn was bequeathed RM10 million and a property in Ampang Hilir, with her daughter Jasmine receiving RM50,000 a month.
Meanwhile, their brother Marcus Chan Jau Chwen, 42, was left properties in Jalan Ampang, substantial shareholdings in Mantap Awana Sdn Bhd, access to safe deposit boxes, and the remaining 30% of the residuary estate. The trial is set to continue as the court weighs the competing claims over the validity of the will.
