‘The most important client I could ever have’: Why this law grad now defends S’pore through military intelligence

Law school leaves no assumption unchallenged. Students learn to interrogate every assumption, dissect evidence and anticipate counterarguments. No case can stand until it has been built on solid ground and stress-tested against opposing views.

Military Expert 4 (ME4) Dexter Chow forged that habit of mind while studying law at Singapore Management University (SMU). Today, the client he serves is not a single individual or entity.

“The work that we do goes a long way in protecting Singapore,” he says. “It is the most important client I could ever have.”

The 28-year-old is a senior military intelligence expert at the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), the fourth branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), specialising in developing a deep analytical acumen and understanding of Singapore’s regional security environment.

“As a lawyer, you have to build your case, making assessments based on evidence and clear lines of logic,” says ME4 Chow. As an intelligence officer, the work follows the same logic, he adds.

ME4 Chow and his team pore over information from multiple sources, oftentimes contradictory, to form a clearer picture and flag concerns early.

He says: “The bulk of our work involves understanding the information that we receive, making sense of it, and presenting our assessments to key decision makers as concisely as we can.”

Drawn back to uniform

The idea of serving at the frontline was never foreign to ME4 Chow. His father was a former member of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, while his brother is currently an officer in the Singapore Police Force.

“I remembered feeling proud of the work that my father did as a fire and rescue officer, as he was out there serving a greater good,” he recalls.

His days of enlistment deepened that impression. “I really enjoyed the camaraderie and saw how much the organisation invests in its people. There is also the opportunity to exercise leadership qualities,” he says.

When he was picking a university course, he wanted to try something different. He believed he could serve in his own way by pursuing a career in law – defending others in the courtroom.

But even after four years of legal study at SMU and three internships – including one at the Attorney-General’s Chambers – he found himself still irresistibly drawn to a career with the SAF.

“I eventually decided that I would enjoy a career where I’d have the capacity to lead a team, and focus on aspects beyond just honing my craft in a particular discipline,” he says. “Also, I wanted to be part of a greater cause.”

On top of that, the SAF places a unique emphasis on values and mentorship, he continues.

“We even have a nine-month leadership course,” he says. “Not a lot of organisations out there would dedicate so much time solely to leadership training.”

What makes his situation particularly unique is his choice to take up the SAF Merit Scholarship as a mid-term scholar, even though he had completed his undergraduate degree.

Most students apply for scholarships, government-awarded or otherwise, before entering university.

But the SAF is unique in that it allows students to apply for its scholarships even during their undergraduate studies, up until six months after they graduate.

Mid-term scholars also receive similar scholarship benefits as those awarded scholarships before they begin their studies, including their university fees being covered.

But ultimately, ME4 Chow’s motivation to take up the scholarship was not just monetary; the scholarship experience mattered more to him.

“The best thing about being a scholar is the opportunity to interact with other scholars from different parts of the defence community, and to engage senior commanders and prominent influential figures,” he says.

For instance, he was one of a select few who enjoyed an exclusive meeting with former Chief Defence Scientist Prof Lui Pao Chuen – an encounter that still sticks with him to this day. Prof Lui is recognised as a pioneer of Singapore’s defence community, with a long career in MINDEF shaping how the SAF builds capabilities.

“It’s certainly allowed me to understand more about the wider defence ecosystem, and how that ecosystem plays a part in the larger defence framework across the whole-of-government.”

Catching threats before they take hold

When he joined the SAF full-time in 2022, he swapped the familiar pixellised green uniform of national servicemen for the grey of the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS).

As a senior military intelligence expert in the DIS, ME4 Chow is always alert. He is currently an Officer Commanding in the Joint Intelligence Command, or JIC – a team that works round the clock to uncover nascent and emerging threats to Singapore, using state-of-the-art digital tools and cutting-edge sensor technologies.

JIC gathers, parses and analyses vast amounts of data every day, from hundreds of online and offline sources, to intercept threats before they can escalate into something bigger.

This timely intelligence supports early warning and decision-making of the SAF’s operations – all to ensure that Singaporeans remain safe in their lives and homes.

It is not an easy task by any means. But in fact, it is this knowledge – the importance of what he and his colleagues do – that drives them to go to work every day, ME4 Chow says.

Many Singaporeans remain under the impression that Singapore is safe – and it is, ME4 Chow affirms.

“However, the only reason that we can have the confidence that there are no pertinent threats to Singapore is because of the hard work that our men and women put in, to give Singaporeans the assurance that we are well-prepared to detect, foresee and overcome every threat,” he reminds.

“Every day that Singapore remains safe is a day that the SAF fulfils her mission.”

Find out how the SAF Merit Scholarship can give your defence career a head start.