MR VINCENT Leow, 31, and Colonel Perry Lim, 36, were awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarships on Wednesday.

Mr Leow is a senior associate at Alan & Gledhill law firm and Colonel Lim is the Deputy Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations)-Current Operations, in the Singapore Armed Forces.

Colonel Lim, a former President's Scholar, will be pursuing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at INSEAD and Mr Leow will be reading a Masters in Law at Harvard University.

Colonel Lim said he decided to pursue an MBA to pick up skills that will make him a better leader when he returns to the SAF after his studies.

Colonel Lim is currently in charge of preparing troops for overseas deployments and supporting them during these trips.

Mr Leow said practising law is a way of giving back to society.

Mr Leow and Colonel Lim were selected from 82 applicants.

There are currently 26 Lee Kuan Yew Scholars.

The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship is the postgraduate equivalent of the prestigious President's. Scholarship.

Scholarship holders get a one-off award of $10,000 and an annual allowance of $50,000. While the scholarship is bond-free, scholars are expected to contribute their talent towards the betterment of Singapore.