MUAR: A beautician was sentenced to seven days in jail for contempt of court by a High Court here for failing to pay RM200,000 in damages for committing adultery with a married man.

On Sunday, High Court judge Datuk Meoh Hashimi Abdul Hamid ordered beautician Pang Pei Shan, the lover in the divorce case, to be jailed for contempt of court until she settles RM200,000 and RM5,000 in costs.

This is believed to be the first divorce case in Malaysia where a respondent is jailed for contempt of court for failing to settle damages granted in the divorce.

Tan Kar Ling, who was married to Soh Yiap Siong, filed a divorce petition on the grounds that Soh and Pang had committed adultery.

The divorce was granted by the High Court here, where both Soh and Pang were each ordered to pay Tan RM200,000 in damages and another RM5,000 for costs on 25 July 2021.

The high court allowed Soh and Pang to pay the sum in instalments. However, Tan filed for contempt of court against the duo on 3 January this year as both did not make payments.

While Pang was sent to jail, Soh, who was ordered to pay Tan RM200,000 too, was spared as he was in the midst of applying to be declared a bankrupt.

Justice Meoh Hashimi also ordered the respondents to pay RM3,000 for the proceeding on 3 November.