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Former Engineer Affiliated with MOH Jailed After $18K Paris Bribe Trip

 




Ng Kah Siang, a 37-year-old former engineer at Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS), was sentenced on 31 July 2025 to five months and two weeks in jail for accepting and attempting to solicit bribes. IHiS, which operates under the Ministry of Health (MOH) and is now rebranded as Synapxe, manages IT systems for Singapore’s public healthcare institutions.

In March 2022, Ng received a fully sponsored trip to Paris worth over $18,000 from two senior telecommunications executives—Chiang Chee Seng, then a senior sales director at Nera Telecommunications, and Peng Ming, then an account director at Huawei International. The bribe was offered in exchange for Ng’s influence in awarding a lucrative IHiS contract. Ng has since voluntarily returned the amount to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Court documents reveal that Ng was overseeing multi-year term deals for IT products and services, with previous contracts averaging $22 million in annual procurement value. Upon learning about the upcoming renewal of one such contract in late 2021, Peng attempted to curry favour with Ng. Initially, Ng asked Peng for a $20,000 bribe, which was declined. Instead, Peng proposed a visit to Huawei’s lab, which Ng rejected due to its distant location.

The discussion soon escalated to an overseas holiday. Ng first suggested a trip to Rome but later opted for Paris. Peng agreed and brought Chiang into the arrangement. Both men arranged and funded the travel, accommodation, and meals for Ng and his wife, with a total of nine individuals joining the March 2022 trip.

Ng’s understanding was clear—the Paris trip was in return for his support in helping Huawei and Nera secure the term deal. He also attempted to obtain an additional bribe from Chiang amounting to 1% of Nera’s revenue from the future contract. The arrangement promised financial rewards for both Peng and Chiang, whose remuneration was partially tied to business performance.

The situation became more serious when, two months after the trip and just before the tender’s official launch, both Peng and Chiang allegedly received confidential IHiS tender documents on 10 May 2022. These documents would have given their companies an unfair advantage. However, their actions were swiftly curtailed. On 11 May 2022, all three men were arrested by the CPIB.

Chiang, 50, was sentenced to 11 weeks in jail on 21 July 2025. Peng’s case is still pending. All three individuals are Singaporeans.

The Deputy Public Prosecutors, Eugene Phua and Andre Ong, emphasized the gravity of the offence, especially as it compromised the integrity of public procurement involving essential healthcare IT infrastructure. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about corporate attempts to improperly influence public contracts and the importance of transparency and accountability in such dealings.

The court noted that Ng’s actions directly undermined trust in the public sector. Although he cooperated with authorities and made restitution, the severity of his breach warranted a custodial sentence. The CPIB reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on corruption, especially when it affects public interest and essential national services like healthcare.

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