NG HONG KHIANG v WU CUIYUN

[2023] SGHC 45 High Court (General Division) 24 February 2023 HC/OA 221/2022

2 cases cited

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	24 February 2023
Judge	Tan Siong Thye
Charges / claim	Land
Counsel	H A & Chung Partnership, Lighthouse Law LLC, Adrian Wee Heng Yi, Baburam Dayalan Naidu, Lynette Chang Huay Qin

Source: [2023] SGHC 45, High Court (General Division), decided 24 February 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Land — Interest in land

Practice Areas

Land

Judges (1)

Tan Siong Thye Delivered

Counsel (5)

H A & Chung Partnership Firm

Lighthouse Law LLC Firm

Adrian Wee Heng Yi Counsel for the applicant

Baburam Dayalan Naidu Counsel for the respondent

Lynette Chang Huay Qin Counsel for the applicant

Parties (2)

Ng Hong Khiang Applicant

Wu Cuiyun Respondent

Case Significance

In this oral judgment delivered 24 February 2023 by Tan Siong Thye J (Originating Application No 221 of 2022), applicant Ng Hong Khiang sought an order to sell a property at 1 Bukit Batok Street 25, #09-01, Parkview Apartment, Singapore 658882, which was registered wholly in the name of respondent Wu Cuiyun, and to retain 30.24% of the sale proceeds as his contribution. Ng and Wu were in a romantic relationship when the property was purchased in 2014. Ng claimed there was an oral agreement to contribute towards the purchase and to divide proceeds by each party's contribution, while Wu denied any such agreement and contended that Ng's contribution was a gift made in consideration of their relationship. Ng was represented by Lighthouse Law LLC and Wu by H A & Chung Partnership.

Summary

Ng Hong Khiang applied for an order to sell a Bukit Batok apartment registered wholly in the name of Wu Cuiyun, with whom he had been in a relationship, and to recover his contribution to the purchase price. The dispute was whether his contribution was subject to an oral agreement giving him a proportionate share or was instead a gift. Applying the resulting trust framework, Tan Siong Thye J ordered the property to be sold and 15.4% of the sale proceeds paid to the applicant.

What was Ng Hong Khiang v Wu Cuiyun [2023] SGHC 45 about?

Applicant Ng Hong Khiang sought an order to sell a Parkview Apartment property at 1 Bukit Batok Street 25 registered in Wu Cuiyun's name, and to retain 30.24% of proceeds as his contribution. The parties disputed whether an oral agreement existed or the contribution was a gift.

What did the parties dispute over the Bukit Batok property ([2023] SGHC 45)?

Ng Hong Khiang claimed an oral agreement to sell the 2014-purchased property and divide proceeds by contribution, seeking 30.24%. Wu Cuiyun denied the agreement, contending that Ng's contribution was a gift made in consideration of their romantic relationship. Tan Siong Thye J heard the application.