MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Singapore's Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Sri Lanka

The Government has appointed Mr Ong Keng Yong as Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Mr Chay Wai Chuen as Singapore's High Commissioner to the Republic of Sri Lanka. They will be resident in Singapore.

Mr Ong is currently Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). With effect from June 2008, he is concurrently Director of the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Prior to his current 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 was appointed 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 had served in the Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia and Washington as well as the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Ong was the Director of Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North American/European Affairs) in MFA 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. He is married to Irene Lee-Chen Tan.

Mr Chay Wai Chuen was a Member of Parliament from September 1988 to April 2006, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (Communications and IT) from 1997 to 2001 and Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (Transport) from 2002 to 2004. Mr Chay was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee from 1993 to 2006. In addition, Mr Chay was appointed Chairman of the Brickworks Town Council from 1991 to 1997 and Tanjong Pagar Town Council from 2001 to 2004.

Mr Chay is currently the Managing Director (Retail Real Estate Management) of GuocoLand Limited, a SGX listed Real Estate Company.

Mr Chay was previously the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Supply Chain of NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd from 1996 to 2007 and was also Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary, Grocery Logistics of Singapore Pte Ltd. He served as a council member at the National University of Singapore from 2000 to 2004.

Mr Chay is married to Ms Agnes Tseng. They have two children.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
29 OCTOBER 2008