This seminar explores the historical use of the trust in Singapore from the early colonial days to modern times as a means of wealth transfer. There are three major uses of the trust as a means of wealth transfer in Singapore’s history. First, the trust was used by rich Chinese families for succession purposes which included the promotion of ancestor worship and burial grounds. However, the custom of perpetual ancestor worship ultimately proved to be incompatible with the English law against perpetuities. This irreconcilability, coupled with the fact that the practice of ancestor worship is becoming less common, has meant that such trusts are virtually unheard of these days. Second, the trust was used by wealthy Arab merchants who controlled much of the business and land holdings in Singapore to further succession planning and religious purposes. The popularity of the use of the trust by these Arab traders may be due to the fact that the trust was not an alien concept to them because Muslim law utilizes the concept of the waqf, which is similar to the trust. However, Islamic concepts inherent in the waqf proved to be too discordant with English trust law doctrines for the sustained use of the trust in this context. This incompatibility together with concerns of proper governance of the waqf led to statutory reforms. Finally, the modern contemporary use of the trust coincided with the arrival of what I term as a form of global trust to Singapore. Rooted in doctrinal developments in English law, inspired by developments in offshore financial centers, and created by ingenious draftpersons, the quintessential global trust is a form of a highly discretionary trust. This final wave reflects the emergence of Singapore as a major wealth management center in Asia. Ultimately, this case study on the historical and contemporary use of the trust in Singapore demonstrates the flexibility of the trust concept in facilitating wealth transfer through the ages.

Tang Hang Wu is a Professor at the School of Law, Singapore Management University. His research interests include land law, restitution, equity, trusts, charity and non-profit law. Hang Wu has published widely and his work has been relied on by all levels of the Singapore courts, Federal Court of Malaysia, the Royal Court of Jersey, the Caribbean Court of Appeal and Manitoba Court of Appeal. He is frequently instructed by law firms to act as Counsel before the Singapore courts and has advised high net worth individuals, banks, trustees, the U.S Department of Justice and international law firms on complex property and trust issues. Hang Wu has provided continuing legal education training for judges at the Singapore Judicial College and Family Justice Court on equity and trusts. In recognition of his expertise, he was made an overseas member of the Chancery Bar Association of England and Wales and a country correspondent of Trusts and Trustees.

The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded this seminar 1.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.