Man's will barred widow from his assets as marriage was a sham

He married the Chinese national so that she could stay in S'pore for her child's education

- Tan Ooi Boon

A Singaporean was so adamant in not giving anything to his wife that he wrote in his will that none of his assets would go to her as their two-year marriage was a sham.

The unusual case came about because he claimed he had married the Chinese national out of sympathy so she could stay in Singapore as a "study mama" to care for her daughter.

In his will, which was signed five days after his left foot was amputated because of diabetic complications, he stated he did not wish to give his three-room HDB flat and other personal properties to his wife.

He wrote that he merely married her to help her extend her stay to accompany her child who was then studying here. "We are unable to consummate our marriage," he added.

Instead, he gave the flat to his half-sister, whom he cared for more than his other siblings. He told his close friend, who helped him to get the will done, that this sister deserved the flat because she had gone through a hard life and was financially poorer than him and his siblings.

He died barely two weeks after the will was done. Not surprisingly, his widow, who did not visit him in the hospital, contested the will, claiming this was done under suspicious circumstances without the presence of lawyers or doctors.

As the will was drafted in unequivocal terms that totally denied her of any inheritance, her only choice was to cast doubt on the entire will by claiming that her late husband did not have the mental capacity to sign it.

The High Court found that the man was not suffering from any kind of mental illness as he was in the hospital for treatment related to his diabetic condition. Since he was still in the hospital when he signed the will, his daily medical updates showed he was "alert, comfortable, oriented to time, place and person and with stable vital signs" on that day.