Ong Keng Yong

Who is Ong Keng Yong?

Ong Keng Yong is a Singaporean diplomat. He served as the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from 2003 to 2007, and is currently Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia.

Ong was educated at the University of Singapore, graduating with an LLB and then at Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, from where he received a Master of Arts in Arab Studies. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore in June 1979. He has been on diplomatic postings to Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the United States of America. From 1994 to 1996, he was spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1996 to 1998, he was High Commissioner of Singapore to India and concurrently Ambassador to Nepal. From 1998 to 2002, he worked as an important aide to the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, leaving that job in 2002. From 1999 to 2002, Ong was concurrently Chief Executive Director of the People's Association in Singapore, as well as Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts.

Upon his return from the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Ong was appointed Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. At the same time, he was Director of the Institute of Policy Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore. Concurrently, he was Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran.