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Explore Southeast Asian and United States biographies by name, country, office, company, sport, place or achievement.

1594 peopleShowing 12 · source-led collection
Teo Chee Hean seated in a dark suit at a bilateral defence meeting in Singapore in June 2006.
SingaporePolitics

1954—

Teo Chee Hean

Temasek chairman, Senior Advisor in Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office and former senior ministerTeo Chee Hean moved from Singapore’s navy into Parliament and senior Cabinet roles before leaving Cabinet in 2025 and becoming Temasek chairman.Read biography
Vivian Balakrishnan in a dark suit during a March 2023 G20 foreign-ministers meeting in New Delhi.
SingaporePolitics

1961—

Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore foreign minister, Member of Parliament and former ophthalmologistVivian Balakrishnan moved from ophthalmology and hospital leadership into Parliament, domestic policy portfolios and Singapore’s foreign ministry.Read biography
Anthoni Salim and other participants during an Indonesian Industry Ministry visit to an Asahi Indofood beverage plant in April 2015.
IndonesiaBusiness

Birth date unverified

Anthoni Salim

Salim Group executive, Indofood president director and CEO, and First Pacific chairmanAnthoni Salim developed a management career in the group founded by his father, combining food-company leadership with the governance of First Pacific and other separately constituted businesses.Read biography
Surya Paloh, fifth from left, with Joko Widodo and other coalition-party leaders at a dinner on 23 July 2018.
IndonesiaBusiness

1951—

Surya Paloh

Indonesian media entrepreneur and NasDem party chairmanSurya Paloh developed print and television businesses before leading NasDem, with distinct histories behind his newspaper ventures, Metro TV and political organisations.Read biography
Alvin Pang wearing glasses and a dark shirt with his arms folded in a black-and-white 2018 portrait.
SingaporeCulture

1972—

Alvin Pang

Singapore poet, editor and translatorAlvin Pang’s literary career moves among poetry, editing and translation, linking Singapore writing with international collaborations and several forms of literary practice.Read biography
Davy Chou holding a trophy at the Cabourg Film Festival in June 2016.
CambodiaCulture

1983—

Davy Chou

French filmmaker of Cambodian parentage and Anti-Archive co-founderDavy Chou’s filmmaking connects Cambodian cinema and family history with French and Korean settings, alongside the work of the Phnom Penh company Anti-Archive.Read biography
K. Shanmugam, at right, shakes hands with Hillary Clinton in Phnom Penh on 12 July 2012.
SingaporePolitics

1959—

K. Shanmugam

Singapore Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home AffairsK. Shanmugam moved from commercial litigation to Singapore’s Cabinet, holding law, home-affairs and foreign-affairs portfolios before becoming Senior Minister in July 2026.Read biography
Ong Ye Kung speaking at a lectern at the NUS Cities Symposium on 3 September 2025.
SingaporePolitics

1969—

Ong Ye Kung

Singapore Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Minister for Health and Sembawang MPOng Ye Kung worked in public administration, labour and business before entering Singapore’s Cabinet, later moving through education and transport to health and social-policy coordination.Read biography
PhilippinesBusiness

Birth date unverified–2018

George Ty

Metrobank founder and former chairman; GT Capital founder and chairman emeritusGeorge Ty founded Metrobank and developed wider business interests later organised through GT Capital, alongside the educational, arts and community work of Metrobank Foundation.Read biography
Washington SyCip seated in a white barong in Shubert Ciencia’s January 2008 photograph.
PhilippinesBusiness

1921–2017

Washington SyCip

SGV founder, management-education institution builder and former IFAC presidentWashington SyCip founded the accounting practice that became SGV and helped build Asian management education, combining a Philippine-based career with American citizenship.Read biography
Glen Goei smiling in a seated studio portrait supplied by TigerTiger Productions.
SingaporeCulture

Birth date unverified

Glen Goei

Filmmaker, theatre director, actor and Wild Rice Co-Artistic DirectorGlen Goei is a Singaporean filmmaker and theatre director whose career extends from performing in London’s M. Butterfly to directing films and shaping Wild Rice productions.Read biography
Bront Palarae in a jacket and blue shirt in MeleTOP’s Oscars Breakfast With Stars video, March 2016.
MalaysiaCulture

1978—

Bront Palarae

Actor, screenwriter, director and film producerBront Palarae is a Malaysian actor and filmmaker whose work includes award-winning acting in Belukar, roles in Indonesian cinema and producing Crossroads: One Two Jaga.Read biography
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