Devoted husband act unmasked? What we know about Edika Yusof’s divorce

SHAH ALAM – Former 90s heartthrob Edika Yusof and his ex-wife have become the subject of intense public discussion, following ongoing speculation surrounding the breakdown of their marriage.

Edika Yusof, 58, whose real name is Mohd Yusof Abd Majid, officially divorced his wife, Hidayah Yusri, 47, after single pronouncement of talak (talak satu) at 10.42am during a hearing at the Federal Territories Syariah Lower Court on Monday.

The pronouncement was recorded by Syariah Judge Syed Muhammad Syahadi Syed Siksh.

The actor agreed to the divorce following the court's approval of Hidayah’s petition, which she filed in mid-February.

During the proceedings, Edika appeared without legal representation, while his wife was represented by Syariah lawyer Mohd Yazid Hazim.

The divorce, originally scheduled earlier, had been delayed due to religious considerations regarding Hidayah’s state of purity at the time.

Once lauded for his devotion, Edika had touched the hearts of many Malaysians by caring for his paralysed wife for 19 years.

Their story had once been an inspiration after Hidayah was left partially paralysed following childbirth and Edika had publicly declared his commitment to stand by her side without complaint or intention of remarrying.

However, during previous interviews on April 21, Edika expressed that he was caught off guard by the divorce proceedings. He revealed that despite reaching out via WhatsApp and phone calls, his wife avoided communication.

Although he accepted the divorce, Edika voiced confusion and disappointment over the lack of prior discussion. He shared that he had carried the burdens of the household alone and struggled emotionally, eventually suffering from depression and seeking counselling in 2022.

“People only see that my wife is unwell. They don’t see what I’ve endured. I had no one to turn to, my parents have passed on,” he said in the previous statement.

Despite everything, Edika said he still hoped for reconciliation and wanted matters resolved peacefully. He added that he would continue to be a good friend to Hidayah for the sake of their children.

“If we’re meant to be together again, who knows, it’s all in Allah’s hands,” he said.

Now a businessman, Edika firmly denied allegations of domestic abuse being the reason for the divorce. He argued that if such abuse had occurred, his wife would have gone straight to the police rather than pursue divorce through the courts.

Hidayah however strongly refuted Edika’s claims, asserted that she held substantial evidence, including photos, videos and audio recordings that document the ongoing issues in their marriage.

She further alleged that Edika had tried to discredit her by accusing her of having mental health problems.

“If I were mentally ill, I wouldn’t have taken legal action or followed proper religious procedures. I would’ve just stayed silent,” she said.

Hidayah also revealed that their children were witnesses to much of the conflict throughout their 22-year marriage. Her daughter, she claimed, often intervened to protect her and would contact her elder brother or the police during especially volatile situations.

She said that police had been called to their home on several occasions to help de-escalate domestic disputes claims that Edika has repeatedly denied.

Nonetheless, Hidayah affirmed that she submitted concrete evidence in court, including witness testimony from their children.

She also disclosed that she had lodged multiple police reports at the Kepong station.

In addition, Hidayah previously alleged that Edika had pronounced divorce on multiple occasions. While he later denied these claims by taking a sumpah laknat – an oath invoking divine punishment if one is lying, in January, Hidayah chose to move forward with legal divorce proceedings.

She clarified that her most recent application was not the first time she had sought legal intervention. She had earlier approached the court to verify the repeated pronouncements of divorce, all of which Edika had denied under oath. It was after his denial in January that she decided to formally file for divorce.

Hidayah emphasised that she had made several efforts to resolve their marital issues privately and amicably to avoid public attention. However, her attempts were consistently ignored.

Most distressingly, she claimed that she had endured domestic abuse since the early years of their marriage.

On April 23, she submitted ten reasons in court which she believed clearly demonstrated that the marriage was irreparably broken, each described as serious and deeply concerning.

Edika and NorHidayah married on Jan 16, 2004. They share two children, Fardeen Nasrulhaq and Fereena Nurulhaq. Hidayah also has a son from a previous marriage.