Desmond Kuek

Desmond Kuek Bak Chye
Kuek (right) with US Navy admiral Michael Mullen at a presentation ceremony on 29 May 2008
Born	Singapore
Allegiance	Singapore
Service/branch	Singapore Armed Forces
Years of service	1981–2010
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Commands held	Commanding Officer, 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment Head of Defence Studies Department, Ministry of Defence Commander, 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations) Commander, 3rd Division Director, Joint Intelligence Directorate Chief of Staff, General Staff Chief of Army (2003–2007) Chief of Defence Force (2007–2010)
Awards	see below
Spouse(s)	Claudel Kuek
Other work	see below

Desmond Kuek Bak Chye is a Singaporean business executive and former army general. He was the sixth Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces from 2007–2010 and held the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Water Resource from 2010 - 2012. He is currently the President and Group Chief Executive Officer of SMRT Corporation.

Kuek received his education in Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College respectively. He was awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship in 1982. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, as well as a Master of Public Administration degree (Macroeconomics and Statistics) from Harvard University. Kuek also attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course in Fort Benning, USA and was awarded the Distinguished Allied Leadership Graduate in 1985. He was also the top student at the Army's Company Tactics Course in 1987 and Battalion Tactics Course in 1989, held in SAFTI, Singapore. He also attended the Command and Staff Course at Camberley Staff College in the United Kingdom in 1991.

Kuek enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1981. Throughout his career in the SAF, he held various appointments, including the following: Commanding Officer, 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment; Head of Defence Studies Department, Ministry of Defence; Commander, 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations); Commander, 3rd Division; Director, Joint Intelligence Directorate; Chief of Staff, General Staff; Chief of Army (2003–2007). On 23 March 2007, he succeeded Ng Yat Chung as the Chief of Defence Force (CDF).