Man says dead woman who left millions is his mum. Family says she's his aunt
HE called her 'aunt', but claims she was his mother.
And now millions are riding on the relationship.
At issue is whether retiree Wong Tsu Chai, 63, is entitled to a share of the late Madam Lim Ai Teng's assets.
(Picture: When There's A Will,There Are Fewer Nasty Legal Disputes)Madam Lim died without leaving a will in March 2003.
Her assets are valued at $10 million.
Mr Wong claims he is the eldest child of Madam Lim and her husband, Mr Wong Heng Sian, who died in 1993.
But the couple's seven other children refute this. They say Mr Wong is actually the son of Madam Lim's brother, and therefore her nephew.
Mr Wong, who was born in Fujian province, China, is suing the siblings for a one-eighth share of Madam Lim's estate.
In his opening statement on Monday, his lawyer, Mr Lai Swee Fung of Unilegal LLC, said the Wong siblings have not explained how they concluded Mr Wong is their cousin.
Said Mr Lai: 'Our case is that the siblings have mistaken Tsu Chai's godmother in China as his natural mother. The one document that would prove Tsu Chai's parentage is his birth certificate. However, in those days, China didn't have a registry of births.'
Mr Lai added that China was in the grip of a civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communists, until the latter won in 1949.
He's not our sibling, (from left): Mr Wong Sing Cheng, Ms Wong Bee Poh, Mr Wong Sin Cheong and Ms Wong Mee Geok outside court yesterday. -- Picture: CHOO CHWEE HUA
Mr Wong's case is that Madam Lim decided to leave him in China when she and her husband migrated to Singapore in the 1940s.
He ended up being looked after by an aunt and his grandfather.
He said Madam Lim sent for him in 1956 after establishing a coffee shop business with her husband.
To support his claim, Mr Wong has produced an entry permit and a citizenship application form, which state that Madam Lim is his mother.
Mr Ang Tian San, his ex-boss at the coffee shop where he worked, testified that Madam Lim referred to him as her son on one occasion in 1982.
Mr Ang said Mr Wong's finger had been crushed by a meat grinder and Madam Lim rushed to his work place.
Said Mr Ang: 'Madam Lim was very anxious as she held him in her arms. She told me: 'You must save my son. I'll pay for his medical fees.
'I was puzzled as Tsu Chai addressed her as 'gu gu' (Mandarin for paternal aunt). She later told me that as their horoscopes clashed, he could not address her as 'mama'.'
DNA TEST
However, the siblings, who are represented by Mr Adrian Chong of Low Yeap Toh & Goon, said Mr Wong's identity documents do not prove his parentage conclusively.
The siblings say a DNA test would be strong evidence of Mr Wong's parentage, but he has refused to undergo such a test.
The siblings added that their parents never told them that he is their brother, and the clashing of horoscopes was never mentioned.
They also said that when their mother died, Mr Wong had sent a wreath and signed his name as 'Lim Tsu Chai' - using the surname of his real father.
However, when cross-examined by Mr Chong, Mr Wong said he had never sent the wreath.
The siblings also say that Mr Wong was listed as Madam Lim's nephew in her obituary.
Mr Wong's own son, Mr Huang Dao Yi, 24, is set to testify against him.
The trial continues before Justice Tan Lee Meng till Friday.
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