Singaporeans riled over manipulation of wealthy widow by Chinese man

Allegations that a Chinese national manipulated an 87-year-old Singaporean widow to give him control over her fortune have caused a stir in the city-state, where anti-immigrant sentiment is running high.

The Straits Times reported yesterday that a niece of Chung Khin Chun, a retired physiotherapist suffering from dementia, had asked the High Court to strip Yang Yin, 40, of a power-of-attorney from the widow.

Yang was a tourist guide when he first met Chung in China in 2008 and later developed a relationship with the woman, who eventually allowed him to live in her Singaporean home.

Yang's wife and two young children also moved in last year.

The report triggered a rash of comments online, with some comparing the saga to the tussle over the late Hong Kong multi-billionaire Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum's fortune.

While Chung's assets are more modest, they include a sprawling suburban bungalow worth an estimated S$30 million (HK$185 million), a rare property on an island where most people live in high-rise apartment blocks.

The Straits Times said Chung's niece Hedy Mok, 60, had asked the court to freeze all of the elderly woman's assets amid proceedings to revoke Yang's power-of-attorney, which he obtained in 2012.