[h=2]Widow files suit against step-daughter to stop her talking on Net[/h]
August 16th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
Ms Chan is a keen cyclist who completed a lone 2,000km ride from Bangkok to Singapore in 2002 to raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation.
A widow has filed a suit in High Court to stop her step-daughter from allegedly publishing online on matters pertaining to her or her family.
In the originating summon, Mdm Eleanor Tan Kok Neo is applying for an injunction against Ms Wendy Chan Mei Yoke [Link]. Mdm Tan wants the Court to declare that Ms Chan has breached the agreement between them dated 30 Sep 2011. Mdm Tan also wants the Court to restrain Ms Chan, by an injunction, from publishing in the newspapers, internet or social media on matters pertaining to her or her family. And finally, Mdm Tan wants Ms Chan to bear the legal cost of the legal suit.
Mdm Tan, 78, paid $1 million last year to prevent Ms Wendy Chan from writing about her or the family. However, in her affidavit [Link], she claimed that her step-daughter had breached the agreement by publishing information about the agreement and matters pertaining to her family on several online websites.
The dispute between them began after Mdm Tan’s husband, Dr Harold Chan, died in 2009 and left her the bungalow worth at least $20 million.
She planned to sell it and move to one of her daughters’ house to stay. But Ms Chan, who lived in an outhouse in the grounds of the bunglow, was unhappy to move out.
So Mdm Tan agreed to give her $1 million, but only if she agreed not to publish anything about the subject or matters pertaining to the family in the newspapers, on the Internet or on social media. Ms Chan also had to promise not to make threats against members of the Mdm Tan’s family or her lawyers:
Further, Ms Chan was not allowed to contact Mdm Tan at all, except through lawyers.
According to court documents filed by Mdm Tan, Ms Chan first breached the agreement in Dec last year when she made remarks about the case to Mdm Tan’s friends and relatives at an eatery. She is also alleged to have written about Mdm Tan and her family in e-mails and on several websites.
Ms Chan told the media, “I feel hurt and angry. I am not allowed to call my mother unless I go through her lawyers.”
She added, “She looked after me for 40 years and is mum for me and I am grateful.”
Ms Chan was born out of wedlock after her father, Dr Harold Chan, who was married to Mdm Tan, had an affair. Ms Chan later came to live with the family at the age of 7. After her father died, she carried on living on the premises of the bungalow until the $1 million deal was struck last Sep.
Mdm Tan said in her affidavit that she agreed to give Ms Chan the money to help her buy her own flat. Mdm Tan said the deal meant Ms Chan received her share of the proceeds from the house ahead of her five siblings.
All have moved out of the bungalow after it was sold.
According to Mdm Tan’s family tree [Link], her maternal great-grand father is Mr Chia Hood Theam. Chia Hood Theam (1863-1938), was a third generation peranakan, one of the first board members of the Singapore Chinese Girl’s School and Comprador of the Mercantile Bank for many years. He was one of the most wealthy men in that era. In fact, a family reunion of his descendants in Feb 2000 gathered almost 200 family members.
Tracing the tree, it can be seen that Mdm Tan and Dr Harold Chan have 4 children:
Hence, since Bernard Chan is the half-brother of Ms Wendy Chan, Ms Foo Mee Har naturally is the half-sister-in-law of Ms Wendy Chan.
Last year, in an article published by The Straits Times (‘New PAP faces stunned by online vitriol’, 31 Mar 2011), it mentioned that there was a bankruptcy order served against Ms Foo’s husband brought by Standard Chartered Bank [Link], the same bank that Ms Foo works for. She is the global head of priority clients at the bank. However, for some reasons, the order was later withdrawn and Ms Foo’s husband was not made a bankrupt. The Straits Times reported that Ms Foo did not want to respond about her husband’s bankruptcy matter apart from saying that he works as a general manager at an IT firm.
It is not known if the lawsuit also covers Ms Foo as part of the family, which means if the Court grants the injunction and Ms Foo is recognized by the Court as part of the family, Ms Chan then cannot also publish matters pertaining to Ms Foo.
In any case, Mdm Tan’s suit against Ms Chan will be heard by a High Court judge in Chambers on 23 Aug 2012.
.
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A widow has filed a suit in High Court to stop her step-daughter from allegedly publishing online on matters pertaining to her or her family.
In the originating summon, Mdm Eleanor Tan Kok Neo is applying for an injunction against Ms Wendy Chan Mei Yoke [Link]. Mdm Tan wants the Court to declare that Ms Chan has breached the agreement between them dated 30 Sep 2011. Mdm Tan also wants the Court to restrain Ms Chan, by an injunction, from publishing in the newspapers, internet or social media on matters pertaining to her or her family. And finally, Mdm Tan wants Ms Chan to bear the legal cost of the legal suit.
Mdm Tan, 78, paid $1 million last year to prevent Ms Wendy Chan from writing about her or the family. However, in her affidavit [Link], she claimed that her step-daughter had breached the agreement by publishing information about the agreement and matters pertaining to her family on several online websites.
The dispute between them began after Mdm Tan’s husband, Dr Harold Chan, died in 2009 and left her the bungalow worth at least $20 million.
She planned to sell it and move to one of her daughters’ house to stay. But Ms Chan, who lived in an outhouse in the grounds of the bunglow, was unhappy to move out.
So Mdm Tan agreed to give her $1 million, but only if she agreed not to publish anything about the subject or matters pertaining to the family in the newspapers, on the Internet or on social media. Ms Chan also had to promise not to make threats against members of the Mdm Tan’s family or her lawyers:
According to court documents filed by Mdm Tan, Ms Chan first breached the agreement in Dec last year when she made remarks about the case to Mdm Tan’s friends and relatives at an eatery. She is also alleged to have written about Mdm Tan and her family in e-mails and on several websites.
Ms Chan told the media, “I feel hurt and angry. I am not allowed to call my mother unless I go through her lawyers.”
She added, “She looked after me for 40 years and is mum for me and I am grateful.”
Ms Chan was born out of wedlock after her father, Dr Harold Chan, who was married to Mdm Tan, had an affair. Ms Chan later came to live with the family at the age of 7. After her father died, she carried on living on the premises of the bungalow until the $1 million deal was struck last Sep.
Mdm Tan said in her affidavit that she agreed to give Ms Chan the money to help her buy her own flat. Mdm Tan said the deal meant Ms Chan received her share of the proceeds from the house ahead of her five siblings.
All have moved out of the bungalow after it was sold.
According to Mdm Tan’s family tree [Link], her maternal great-grand father is Mr Chia Hood Theam. Chia Hood Theam (1863-1938), was a third generation peranakan, one of the first board members of the Singapore Chinese Girl’s School and Comprador of the Mercantile Bank for many years. He was one of the most wealthy men in that era. In fact, a family reunion of his descendants in Feb 2000 gathered almost 200 family members.
Tracing the tree, it can be seen that Mdm Tan and Dr Harold Chan have 4 children:
- Gerald Chan Teck Chuan
- Jacqueline Chan Guek Choon
- Bernard Chan Teck Hock
- Noreen Chan Guek Cheng
Hence, since Bernard Chan is the half-brother of Ms Wendy Chan, Ms Foo Mee Har naturally is the half-sister-in-law of Ms Wendy Chan.
Last year, in an article published by The Straits Times (‘New PAP faces stunned by online vitriol’, 31 Mar 2011), it mentioned that there was a bankruptcy order served against Ms Foo’s husband brought by Standard Chartered Bank [Link], the same bank that Ms Foo works for. She is the global head of priority clients at the bank. However, for some reasons, the order was later withdrawn and Ms Foo’s husband was not made a bankrupt. The Straits Times reported that Ms Foo did not want to respond about her husband’s bankruptcy matter apart from saying that he works as a general manager at an IT firm.
It is not known if the lawsuit also covers Ms Foo as part of the family, which means if the Court grants the injunction and Ms Foo is recognized by the Court as part of the family, Ms Chan then cannot also publish matters pertaining to Ms Foo.
In any case, Mdm Tan’s suit against Ms Chan will be heard by a High Court judge in Chambers on 23 Aug 2012.
.
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