KUALA LUMPUR: A local woman has spoken out about how she was deceived into fronting her former foreign husband’s business empire, saying she was left feeling betrayed and used.
Harian Metro reported that Adilah (not her real name), in her 40s, stated that she fell for the sweet words of a Pakistani man, who persuaded her to allow him to register a business under her name with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) several years ago.
“I regret being swayed by his promises. I only realised later that his true intention was to use me to expand his business here,” she told HM.
Adilah, who previously ran a small eatery, said she had been married to a local man who later suffered health issues. She then met her second husband, a foreign national in his 40s, who owned a furniture shop nearby.
Their relationship developed after frequent encounters at her neighbour’s restaurant. Believing he was single, she sought a divorce from her first husband and later married him.
“At first, life with him seemed fine. He never spoke much about his business, but after a while, he became overly jealous and wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone.
“He also persuaded me to apply for business licences under my name to expand his furniture business,” she said.
Trusting him, Adilah complied. The business grew rapidly, bringing in significant profits. But her world was shattered when she discovered he already had a wife in his home country and later took another foreign woman as his spouse.
“I felt betrayed. He used my name to expand his business, made huge profits, and deceived me all along.
“I eventually filed for divorce because I could no longer tolerate his jealousy and other issues. But he tried to convince me to stay, worried I might revoke the licence,” she said.
Even after their separation, her ex-husband continued using the business licence under her name, paying her a form of ‘rental’ fee.
“I know this is wrong, and I want to cancel the licence so that he cannot keep taking advantage of me.
“My experience should serve as a warning to others. Marriages with foreigners must be approached with greater caution to avoid being exploited,” she said.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
