Ong Keng Yong

Mr. Ong Keng Yong has served as the Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) since 1 January 2003. Mr. Ong joined the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in June 1979. Since then, he served as the Charge d’Affaires of the Singapore Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Singapore High Commission in Malaysia, the Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Singapore Embassy in the United States of America (USA), and Singapore’s High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Nepal.

Mr. Ong was the Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of Singapore and concurrently the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts from September 1998 to December 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, he was also the Chief Executive Director of the People’s Association, a grassroots-based community development organization in Singapore.

Mr. Ong holds a Bachelor of Law (with Honors) from the University of Singapore and a Master of Arts in Arab Studies (with Distinction) from Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA).

Source: University Programs and Events Planning Resources, September 2006