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Yeo Hiap Seng descendants in tussle over will
Selina LumThe Straits TimesWednesday, Jun 03, 2015
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TWENTY years ago, brothers Charles and Henry Yeo - third-generation descendants of the founder of food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng - were in the same camp ousted by a rival faction in a family feud over control of the business.
Now, the two brothers are facing off against each other in court over the estate of their late mother, who died in 2013 at the age of 88.
Henry, 64, is seeking to uphold a will that Madam Ng Lay Hua made in 2012, in which she left the lion's share of her assets to him.
Madam Ng had left him a detached house in Sian Tuan Avenue, a semi-detached house in Watten Terrace and half a share of a detached house in Hua Guan Avenue. The other half of the Hua Guan Avenue house was left to Madam Ng's granddaughter, the child of her eldest daughter.
The value of the properties, all in the Bukit Timah area, was not mentioned in court.
Eldest son Charles, 67, whose entire family was cut out of the will, is contesting its validity. He asserts that his mother lacked the capacity to make a valid will after her physical and mental health deteriorated in 2006.
Charles, the only one of her four children who has male offspring, contends that it was irrational for the traditional woman to exclude her eldest son, only grandson and only great-grandsons completely from her will.
A 12-day hearing into the case started yesterday in the High Court.
Henry's lawyer, Senior Counsel Deborah Barker, argued that Madam Ng was mentally capable of making the 2012 will. Ms Barker said Madam Ng was free to distribute her assets in any way she wished because, when she was alive, she had already provided for her four children by making sure that each of them owned at least one property.
Madam Ng's children and grandchildren also inherited shares in Yeo Hiap Seng Holdings.
Madam Ng, whose husband was a grandson of Yeo Hiap Seng founder Yeo Keng Lian, made several wills in her lifetime. In earlier wills, she left one house to each of Charles' children, John and Evangeline. But she later cut her two grandchildren out of the will and instead left the two houses to Henry.
Taking the stand yesterday, Henry told the court that his mother, a devout Christian, had disinherited John because she was unhappy that he did not attend church and had married a non-Christian.
As for Evangeline, she was cut out of the will because Madam Ng believed that Charles should take care of his daughter, he said.
Charles' lawyer, Mr Siraj Omar, pointed out that Madam Ng did not cut off ties with her grandson, who regularly visited her at her home.
Mr Siraj suggested that Henry took advantage of his mother's poor mental condition and her unhappiness with John, to propose that she leave him the house instead.
Henry disagreed. "My mother had the required testamentary capacity to make the decision," he said. "That decision was a deliberate exclusion."
Mr Siraj had a short video clip played of a family gathering in which Madam Ng was seen waving a piece of paper while a song was being sung by the others. The lawyer suggested to Henry that he had taken her home shortly afterwards because he was concerned that she was "embarrassing herself".
Henry disagreed, saying his mother was just tired.
The trial continues.
In 1994, Henry and Charles were on the same side of rival Yeo family factions battling to wrest control of Yeo Hiap Seng. Two weeks after a truce was called, they were sacked by their uncle Alan Yeo, whom they had tried to oust as chairman.
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This article was first published on June 3, 2015.
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Yeo Hiap Seng descendants in tussle over will
Selina LumThe Straits TimesWednesday, Jun 03, 2015
030614_Judge-Tools_jpg.jpg
TWENTY years ago, brothers Charles and Henry Yeo - third-generation descendants of the founder of food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng - were in the same camp ousted by a rival faction in a family feud over control of the business.
Now, the two brothers are facing off against each other in court over the estate of their late mother, who died in 2013 at the age of 88.
Henry, 64, is seeking to uphold a will that Madam Ng Lay Hua made in 2012, in which she left the lion's share of her assets to him.
Madam Ng had left him a detached house in Sian Tuan Avenue, a semi-detached house in Watten Terrace and half a share of a detached house in Hua Guan Avenue. The other half of the Hua Guan Avenue house was left to Madam Ng's granddaughter, the child of her eldest daughter.
The value of the properties, all in the Bukit Timah area, was not mentioned in court.
Eldest son Charles, 67, whose entire family was cut out of the will, is contesting its validity. He asserts that his mother lacked the capacity to make a valid will after her physical and mental health deteriorated in 2006.
Charles, the only one of her four children who has male offspring, contends that it was irrational for the traditional woman to exclude her eldest son, only grandson and only great-grandsons completely from her will.
A 12-day hearing into the case started yesterday in the High Court.
Henry's lawyer, Senior Counsel Deborah Barker, argued that Madam Ng was mentally capable of making the 2012 will. Ms Barker said Madam Ng was free to distribute her assets in any way she wished because, when she was alive, she had already provided for her four children by making sure that each of them owned at least one property.
Madam Ng's children and grandchildren also inherited shares in Yeo Hiap Seng Holdings.
Madam Ng, whose husband was a grandson of Yeo Hiap Seng founder Yeo Keng Lian, made several wills in her lifetime. In earlier wills, she left one house to each of Charles' children, John and Evangeline. But she later cut her two grandchildren out of the will and instead left the two houses to Henry.
Taking the stand yesterday, Henry told the court that his mother, a devout Christian, had disinherited John because she was unhappy that he did not attend church and had married a non-Christian.
As for Evangeline, she was cut out of the will because Madam Ng believed that Charles should take care of his daughter, he said.
Charles' lawyer, Mr Siraj Omar, pointed out that Madam Ng did not cut off ties with her grandson, who regularly visited her at her home.
Mr Siraj suggested that Henry took advantage of his mother's poor mental condition and her unhappiness with John, to propose that she leave him the house instead.
Henry disagreed. "My mother had the required testamentary capacity to make the decision," he said. "That decision was a deliberate exclusion."
Mr Siraj had a short video clip played of a family gathering in which Madam Ng was seen waving a piece of paper while a song was being sung by the others. The lawyer suggested to Henry that he had taken her home shortly afterwards because he was concerned that she was "embarrassing herself".
Henry disagreed, saying his mother was just tired.
The trial continues.
In 1994, Henry and Charles were on the same side of rival Yeo family factions battling to wrest control of Yeo Hiap Seng. Two weeks after a truce was called, they were sacked by their uncle Alan Yeo, whom they had tried to oust as chairman.
[email protected]
This article was first published on June 3, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Sign Up Now!
Enjoy 2 weeks of unlimited digital access to The Straits Times.
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Become a fan on Facebook
Follow @sphasiaone
News Link News PostPurchase this article for republication.
