JUDGMENT

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an exceedingly difficult case concerning issues of ancilliary reliefs sought by the petitioner wife from the respondent husband both of whom have respectively attained more than half a century in terms of age, and who have through thick and thin shared some 34 years of married life, which would otherwise have been an excellent record of happy and holy matrimony but for the facts and circumstances which I now have the formidable duty of unfolding.

For brevity, convenience and ease of reference, the parties shall be referred to hereinafter as wife and husband respectively.

II. WIFE'S APPLICATION

This is an application by the wife against the husband for the following ancilliary reliefs:

1. maintenance of RM15,000.00 a month commencing from November 1998;

2. equal division of all the matrimonial properties registered under L.P.I.(M) Sdn Bhd ("L.P.I.(M)"), Sathyam Holding Sdn Bhd ("Sathyam Holding") and also under the husband's name and all the properties and shares held in the name of Lai Company Sdn Bhd ("Lai Company"), Tan Yew Lai & Sons Sdn Bhd ("Tan Yew Lai & Sons"), Unicolour Printing Ink Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (UPI Manufacturing"), and all other companie