CHEE YIN MEH v ONG KIAN GUAN & 2 Ors

[2023] SGHC(A) 33 High Court (Appellate Division) 27 October 2023 AD/CA 112/2022 20 min read

2 cases cited

Key facts

Court	High Court (Appellate Division)
Decided	27 October 2023
Judges	Andre Maniam, Debbie Ong Siew Ling, Kannan Ramesh
Charges / claim	Insolvency Law
Counsel	Allen & Gledhill LLP, Ang & Partners, Chan Chee Yin Andrew, Chew Jing Wei, Edwin Teong Ying Keat, Fu Xiangming Max, Goh Kok Leong, Lee Suet Yean Cherlyn, Navin Kumar s/o Tamil Selvan, Tay Yu Xi, Yeo Alexander Lawrence Han Tiong

Source: [2023] SGHC(A) 33, High Court (Appellate Division), decided 27 October 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Insolvency Law — Administration of insolvent estates Insolvency Law — Avoidance of transactions — Unfair preferences Insolvency Law — Avoidance of transactions — Transactions at an undervalue

Practice Areas

Insolvency Law

Judges (3)

Andre Maniam Delivered Debbie Ong Siew Ling Coram Kannan Ramesh Coram

Counsel (11)

Allen & Gledhill LLP Firm Ang & Partners Firm Chan Chee Yin Andrew Counsel Respondent Chew Jing Wei Counsel Respondent Edwin Teong Ying Keat Counsel Respondent Fu Xiangming Max Counsel Appellant Goh Kok Leong Counsel Appellant Lee Suet Yean Cherlyn Counsel Respondent Navin Kumar s/o Tamil Selvan Counsel Appellant Tay Yu Xi Counsel Respondent Yeo Alexander Lawrence Han Tiong Counsel Respondent

Parties (4)

Chee Yin Meh Appellant Goh Yeow Kiang Victor Respondent Khor Boon Hong Respondent Ong Kian Guan Respondent

Case Significance

Chee Yin Meh v Ong Kian Guan and others [2023] SGHC(A) 33 is a grounds of decision of the Appellate Division of the High Court, comprising Kannan Ramesh JAD, Debbie Ong Siew Ling JAD and Andre Maniam J, with Andre Maniam J delivering the grounds on 27 October 2023 in Civil Appeal No 112 of 2022. The appellant, Mdm Chee Yin Meh, was one of three defendants in Suit No 1078 of 2017, brought by the trustees in bankruptcy of her husband Mr Fan Kow Hin, who challenged ten transactions as transactions at an undervalue or unfair preferences. The trial judge found for the trustees on eight of the ten transactions and made orders against Mdm Chee on three, which she appealed.

[2023] SGHC(A) 33 explained

CHEE YIN MEH v ONG KIAN GUAN & 2 Ors ([2023] SGHC(A) 33) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (Appellate Division) on 27 October 2023. It is categorised under Insolvency Law. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2023] SGHC(A) 33 about?

CHEE YIN MEH v ONG KIAN GUAN & 2 Ors ([2023] SGHC(A) 33) is a High Court (Appellate Division) decision from 2023. Its published catchwords are “Insolvency Law — Administration of insolvent estates”, “Insolvency Law — Avoidance of transactions — Unfair preferences”, and “Insolvency Law — Avoidance of transactions — Transactions at an undervalue”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Summary

This appeal by Mdm Chee Yin Meh arose from proceedings brought by the trustees in bankruptcy of her husband, Mr Fan Kow Hin, who had challenged transactions as transactions at an undervalue and unfair preferences. Mdm Chee appealed orders made against her in respect of three transactions, having relied on agreements the court found were falsely backdated and dishonest. The Appellate Division dismissed her appeal and ordered her to pay the trustees costs on an indemnity basis fixed at $55,000 plus disbursements of $8,000.

What was Chee Yin Meh v Ong Kian Guan [2023] SGHC(A) 33 about?

It was Mdm Chee Yin Meh's appeal before the Appellate Division of the High Court concerning transactions her bankrupt husband Mr Fan Kow Hin entered into, which his trustees in bankruptcy challenged as transactions at an undervalue or unfair preferences, decided on 27 October 2023.

What did the trial judge decide before the appeal in [2023] SGHC(A) 33?

The trial judge found in favour of the trustees in bankruptcy on eight of the ten challenged transactions and made orders against Mdm Chee in respect of three of them, being the transactions she appealed against to the Appellate Division.