MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran

            The Government has appointed Mr Yip Wei Kiat as Singapore’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Mr Ong Keng Yong as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

              Mr Yip Wei Kiat will assume post as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea on 23 February 2015.  He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 and served as Director-General (Northeast Asia) from February 2012 to August 2014 and as Consul-General in Shanghai from February 2008 to January 2012. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing from November 2005 to December 2007.

              Mr Yip graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics (Honours) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom, in 1991 under the Singapore Government Scholarship.  He obtained a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies in 2001 from Stanford University, United States of America, on a Fulbright scholarship.

              Mr Ong Keng Yong is currently Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Director of the School’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.  He is also Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

              Mr Ong had previously served as Singapore’s Non‑Resident Ambassador to Iran from February 2009 to July 2011.  He was also Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia from July 2011 to November 2014, and to India from August 1996 to August 1998.  Mr Ong was Secretary-General of ASEAN from January 2003 to January 2008.  He also served as Press Secretary to then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong from September 1998 to December 2002 and was Chief Executive Director of the People’s Association from 1999 to 2002.  In addition, Mr Ong served as Director of the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy from June 2008 to June 2011.

              Mr Ong graduated from the University of Singapore with a LLB (Honours) 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 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 Mdm Irene Tan Lee Chen.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

28 JANUARY 2015

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY - YIP WEI KIAT

                   Mr Yip Wei Kiat last held the post of Director-General of the Northeast Asia Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, from February 2012 to August 2014.

                    Born in 1969, Mr Yip graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics (Honours) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom, in 1991 under the Singapore Government Scholarship.  He obtained a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies in 2001 from Stanford University, United States of America, on a Fulbright scholarship.             

                   Mr Yip joined the Singapore Foreign Service in 1993.  In the Ministry’s Headquarters, Mr Yip covered several portfolios including Malaysia, Brunei, Europe and Northeast Asia.

                   His overseas assignments included postings in Kuala Lumpur (January 1995 to January 1998), Bangkok (May 2003 to January 2005) and Beijing. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing from November 2005 to December 2007 and Consul-General in Shanghai from February 2008 to January 2012.

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January 2015

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY - ONG KENG YONG 

                    Mr Ong Keng Yong (王景荣) is currently Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

                    Born in 1954, Mr Ong Keng Yong graduated from the University of Singapore with a LLB (Hons) and subsequently from Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA) with a MA in Arab Studies.  In 2008, he was Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre on Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus in the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

                    Mr Ong began his diplomatic career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 1979.  He was posted to the Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia and the United States of America as well as the Singapore High Commission in Malaysia.  He was Singapore's High Commissioner to India and concurrently Ambassador to Nepal from August 1996 to August 1998.  From September 1998 to December 2002, he was Press Secretary to then-Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong.  At the same time, Mr Ong held senior appointments in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and the People's Association in Singapore.

                    Mr Ong was Singapore’s Non‑Resident Ambassador to Iran from February 2009 to July 2011.  He was Director of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore from June 2008 to June 2011.  Mr Ong served as Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, from January 2003 to January 2008. He served as Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia from July 2011 to November 2014.  He was appointed Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and Director of the School’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in November 2014.

                    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 Mdm Irene Tan Lee Chen.

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January 2015