Singapore’s New Creation Church bought The Star Vista mall next to its worship venue for nearly $217 million without a fundraising appeal, having already paid $366 million for the adjacent Star Performing Arts Centre in 2016.

Singapore now pre-qualifies religious groups before awarding place-of-worship land to the highest bidder, bars foreign donations for purchases, requires sustainable local funding and promised to release at least two church sites every year.

Six City Harvest Church leaders, including senior pastor Kong Hee, were convicted in Singapore over $35.9 million in church funds, including building fund money used to buy bonds in companies promoting his wife’s music career.