NUS Law alumnus Ong Chee Kwan appointed as Judge of Appeals Court in Malaysia

We congratulate our alumnus, Yang Arif Tuan Ong Chee Kwan ’88 LLM ’92, on his elevation to Judge of the Court of Appeal in Malaysia on 28 July 2025.

Prior to this, YA Tuan Ong was appointed Judicial Commissioner in May 2019, before being appointed to the position of High Court Judge in April 2022.

With over 30 years of experience in commercial and shipping litigation practice, YA Tuan Ong’s law career started after he graduated from NUS Law with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1988. He worked at Drew & Napier in Singapore from 1988 to 1992, and obtained his master’s in 1992, before returning to Malaysia. He acted as an arbitrator in arbitration proceedings in both Malaysia and Singapore, and was consistently listed in Legal 500 and Chambers Asia Pacific as a Leading Individual in Shipping.

Earlier in his career, he was the Joint Managing Partner of Christopher & Lee Ong (CLO). The firm, formed in 2013, was a merger of three firms: Lee Ong & Kandiah, Christopher Lee & Partners and Kamilah & Chong. CLO is a member of the Rajah & Tann Asia network of law firms.

Professor Andrew Simester, Dean of NUS Law, said, “On behalf of NUS Law, I warmly congratulate YA Tuan Ong Chee Kwan on his appointment to the Court of Appeal in Malaysia. His distinguished career exemplifies the impact our graduates have across the region. From his early days at NUS Law to his leadership at Christopher & Lee Ong, and through his dedicated service on the Malaysian Bench, YA Tuan Ong’s achievements inspire our community and reaffirm the enduring ties between Singapore and Malaysia’s legal fraternities. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of his commitment to the law.”