Ong Keng Yong

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Ong Keng Yong (born 1954) is a Singaporean diplomat. He has been the secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since January 6, 2003.

Ong was educated at the University of Singapore and Georgetown University receiving a Master of Arts (MAA) in Arab Studies. He entered the Singaporean diplomatic service in 1984. For the next ten years, he worked in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the United States successively at Singaporean embassies in those countries. From 1994 to 1996, he was a foreign ministry spokesman. From 1996 to 1998. he was ambassador and high commissioner of Singapore to India and Nepal. From 1998 to 2002, he worked as an important aide to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, leaving that job late in 2002 when he was elected as secretary-general of ASEAN.