SINGAPORE, July 27 — Investigations on the arrest of Dickson Yeo, who recently pleaded guilty in the United States to working for Chinese intelligence, have not revealed any direct threat to Singapore’s security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said yesterday.

Separately, the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said it has terminated his PhD candidature with immediate effect.

In response to media queries, MHA said it was informed by the US authorities of the Singaporean's arrest in November 2019.

“Investigations have not revealed any direct threat to Singapore’s security,” MHA said.

“Singaporeans are expected to abide by the laws of the country which they visit or reside in. MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is rendering the appropriate consular assistance, as required, to Yeo.”

Yeo, 39, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Washington on July 24 to one charge of operating illegally as a foreign agent, the US Justice Department said.

He admitted to working for Chinese intelligence between 2015 and 2019 “to spot and assess Americans with access to valuable non-public information, including US military and government employees with high-level security clearances.”

Yeo paid some of those individuals to write reports that were ostensibly for his clients in Asia, but sent instead to the Chinese government.

Yeo, 39, was a doctoral degree candidate at NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. 

The school said yesterday that Yeo enrolled as a PhD student in its Public Policy programme in 2015.

“In 2019, he had applied for, and was granted, a Leave of Absence,” the school said.

“In light of the information released by the US Department of Justice, Mr Yeo’s PhD candidature has been terminated with immediate effect and he is no longer a student at the School.”

Yeo will be sentenced on October 9, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

Asked about the case yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said that he has no “privilege information” apart from what has already been published in the media.

He added that the MFA’s duty is to provide consular assistance to Yeo, “according to his needs.” — TODAY