A PICTURE OF CALM: Tengku Fakhry (centre) leaving the courthouse with his lawyer Mohd Haziq (right) this morning as reporters look on. Pic: SAMSUL SAID

KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan prince Tengku Temenggong Tengku Muhammad Fakhry bared all at the High Court here this morning about his life soon after his wife, Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, a former Indonesian teen model, left him.

In giving evidence in the assessment of damages in his RM105 million defamation suit against Manohara and her mother Daisy Fajarina, 44, he disclosed in his affidavit in chambers that:

● he went into hiding soon after allegations of physical and sexual abuse were hurled against him by Manohara and Daisy;

● he lost several friends while others shied away from him;

● Business partners withdrew contracts;

● he suffered from depression and could not sleep at night; and

● he had to live with the reputation of being a "wild animal". Tengku Fakhry, 31, said it was impossible for him to rebuild his reputation and regain the trust and respect of the rakyat.

On life after American-Indonesian actress Manohara left him, he said: “Every day I read bad things about me on the Internet, where Malaysians and people from abroad slam me.

“I could not go out as usual and was forced to live in hiding because I was ashamed.

“People looked at me differently and out of sheer shame I had no choice but to move out of the palace to a house.”

Tengku Fakhry said he was also blamed for a diplomatic crisis between Malaysia and Indonesia where demonstrations were held to protest against the treatment of their nationals here.

He was also not able to attend official functions because he was not in a proper state of mind. The allegations by his wife and mother-in-law that he had raped, tortured and imprisoned Manohara during their nine months of marriage had also badly affected his duties as the Tengku Temenggong.

“Certain quarters felt I was not suitable to carry out official palace duties while others thought I did not deserve to hold the title of Tengku Temenggong.”

He said he felt guilty that his problems could have worsened his father’s health and that he was ashamed to face his mother.

Tengku Fakhry also referred to The Malay Mail report on Dec 17 that Manohara could have been used as a pawn in putting him third in line to the throne out of the equation in the succession.

Manohara had said a high-ranking palace official had "helped me flee". She described the person as a "powerful person" and that she was assured that her well-being, including finances, would be taken care of.

Tengku Fakhry and Manohara were married on Aug 26, 2008. She left him without his knowledge on May 31 last year while the couple was in Singapore to visit the Sultan of Kelantan, who was recovering from a stroke at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in the island republic.

Manohara, he said, had not communicated with him since.

She had said she would never return to Malaysia.

He said they had a close relationship during their marriage and that he loved her.

“My family, palace officials, workers and friends can testify to our close relationship. Never at any time did she tell any one of them that she had been abused,” he said.

Further, he said, his wife did not relate any such abuse to people when they went for official functions or were with his friends.

Manohara and Daisy failed to prove their allegations against Tengku Fakhry by not attending court or engaging lawyers in the defamation suit. The court had allowed Tengku Fakhry to enter judgment in default against them.

After Tengku Fakhry had finished giving evidence in chambers this morning, High Court senior assistant registrar Noordurah Mohamed Din set Feb 24 to hear submissions from the lawyers.

Only after hearing the submissions will the court rule on the quantum of damages.Dressed in a grey suit and yellow shades, Tengku Fakhry arrived at court at 10.52am, accompanied by his lawyer Mohd Haziq Pillay and several others, believed to be his bodyguards.

He came out of the registrar's chambers at 11.09am.