SINGAPORE – An electrical firm project manager was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Oct 3 after seeking confidential information from a Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) employee over a project worth $3 million.

Tan Kian Meng, 47, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Official Secrets Act over receiving information from Hsu Yee Chern, who was a DSTA employee at the time and has since resigned.

Hsu, 52, was sentenced to four weeks’ jail in July.

He had shared with Tan – an employee at John Holland Electrical & Service (JHES), a firm that specialises in generator and electricity supply installation and maintenance – 

information linked to the budget of a DSTA-managed project

In the end, DSTA did not award the project to the company.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Ang told the court that DSTA’s tasks include managing the design, development and maintenance of defence infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence.

DSTA is also responsible for the procurement process involving external vendors’ contracts. This includes sourcing for vendors and evaluating their bids.

As a DSTA employee, Hsu was involved in evaluating bids or tenders from vendors like JHES.

Hsu and Tan first got to know each other in 2014, when JHES was working on a construction project for DSTA in Pulau Tekong.

After the project was completed in 2015, the two men continued to meet each other for meals and drinks at Tan’s invitation, as he wanted to maintain a good working relationship with Hsu.

In 2019, Hsu was involved in a DSTA-managed project regarding the renovation of a S...