By Shivali Nayak, Multimedia Journalist
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL Desmond Kuek Bak Chye, the former Chief of
Defence Force, will soon be exploring a whole new terrain.
After 29 years�with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), LG Kuek
will assume the role of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the
Environment and Water Resources from July 1, 2010. He takes over
from the current Permanent Secretary, Tan Yong Soon.
Mr Tan will be appointed the Permanent Secretary (National
Climate Change) in the Prime Minister's Office.
LG Kuek follows in the footsteps of one of his predecessors, Lim
Chuan Poh. When Lieutenant-General Lim relinquished his appointment
as Chief of Defence Force in 2003, he became the Permanent
Secretary at the Ministry of Education. He is now the Chairman of
the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
Under LG Kuek's leadership, the SAF was transformed into a
third-generation army, which harnesses advanced technology and
directs its men towards honing core military skills. The
46-year-old has won a slew of awards for his outstanding
contributions.�Last year, he was awarded the Meritorious Service
Medal (Military) at the National Day Awards 2009.
The father of two is also a keen sportsman, leading a team of
service chiefs in the Singapore Biathlon 2009.
