MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia (29 June 2011)

The Government has appointed Mr Ong Keng Yong as Singapore's next High Commissioner to Malaysia. He will assume post in Kuala Lumpur on 18 July 2011.

Mr Ong is currently Ambassador-at-Large at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran. Mr Ong is also Director of the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Prior to the above appointments, Mr Ong was Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from January 2003 to January 2008. From 1996 to 1998, he was Singapore's High Commissioner to India and concurrently Singapore's Ambassador to Nepal.

From 1998 to 2002, Mr Ong served as Press Secretary to the Prime Minister and Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) in the Ministry of Information and the Arts. He was the Chief Executive Director of the People's Association from 1999 to 2002.

Mr Ong joined MFA in 1979 and served in the Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia and the United States of America as well as the Singapore High Commission in Malaysia. Mr Ong was the Director of Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North American/European Affairs) in MFA headquarters from 1994 to 1996 and was concurrently the Press Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and MFA Spokesman till February 1995.

Mr Ong was educated at the Anglo-Chinese School and St Andrew's School. He received an LLB (Honours) from the then University of Singapore in 1979 and a Master of Arts in Arab Studies (with distinction) from Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, in 1983.

Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997, the Long Service Medal in 2002 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2008, by the Singapore Government. He also received the Medal of Friendship of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 2007, and the Medal of Sahametrei of the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2007.

He is married to Irene Lee-Chen Tan.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
29 JUNE 2011

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

Mr Ong Keng Yong is currently Ambassador-At-Large at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Since 2009, Mr Ong is also Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran.

Mr Ong was born in Singapore on 6 January 1954. He completed his early education at Anglo-Chinese School and St Andrew's School in Singapore. Mr Ong graduated from the then University of Singapore with an LLB (Honours) in 1979 and obtained a Master in Arab Studies (with distinction) from Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, in 1983. In 2008, he was Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus in the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Mr Ong joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979. He served as Charge d'Affaires of the Singapore Embassy in Saudi Arabia from 1984 to 1988, as Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Singapore High Commission in Malaysia from 1989 to 1991, and as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Singapore Embassy in the United States of America from 1991 to 1994. Upon his return to Singapore in 1994, Mr Ong was appointed Director of Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North American and European Affairs/International Economics/APEC). He was concurrently the Press Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry.

Mr Ong was Singapore's High Commissioner to India from 1996 to 1998, during which he was concurrently accredited as Singapore's Ambassador to Nepal. Upon his return to Singapore, Mr Ong served as Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong from 1998 to 2002. During that time, he was also Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) in the then Ministry of Information and the Arts and Chief Executive Director of the People's Association.

Mr Ong was Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), based in Jakarta, Indonesia, from January 2003 to January 2008.

Mr Ong was a Director of Singapore Post Pte Ltd from 1999 to 2002. He was a member of the founding Board of Trustees of the Singapore Management University till 2002 and served on the Board of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) from 2000 to 2002. He was also on the Board of Directors of The Esplanade Ltd and the NTUC Media Cooperative Ltd in a non-executive capacity from 1999 to 2002.

Since 2009, Mr Ong has been a non-executive Director on the Boards of International Rice Research Institute Fund Singapore and the The Asia Foundation Singapore. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Centre for International Law in the National University of Singapore and the Human Rights Resource Centre for ASEAN based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997, the Long Service Medal in 2002 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2008 by the Singapore Government. He also received the Medal of Friendship of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 2007, and the Medal of Sahametrei of the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2007.

Mr Ong is married to Irene Lee Chen Tan. They have no children.

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