JAKARTA, 16 February 2024 – ASEAN welcomed Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz as Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) for ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and Mr Nararya S. Soeprapto as DSG of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs (CCAD) in a ceremony today.
The two DSGs were sworn in through oath-taking ceremonies, presided by Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn. The ceremonies marked the official beginning of their respective three-year term as DSG, from 2024 to 2027.
Prior to assuming this new position, DSG Astanah served various appointments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia. Her most recent appointment was the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Morocco, with the concurrent accreditation to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. She also served at the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York. DSG Astanah holds a bachelor’s degree in laws from the University of Malaya, and a Diploma in Public Administration from the Malaysian Institute of Public Administration. In her new role, she will support the Secretary-General of ASEAN in managing cooperation in political and security relations with Member States, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, Sectoral Dialogue Partners, Development Partner as well as the international and regional organisations. She will look after the implementation of the APSC Blueprint 2025 and will be leading the APSC Department at ASEC.
For DSG Nararya, he brings with him 29 years of experience across various sectors, including government, inter-governmental, private sector, and civil society. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Strategic Advisor for one of Southeast Asia’s leading strategic communications firms. DSG Nararya holds a Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University, England, and a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Management and International Studies, Webster University, Austria. As DSG for CCAD, he will support the Secretary-General of ASEAN in providing strategic direction and guidance on corporate, legal, and public affairs as well as overseeing various administrative functions.
As stated in the ASEAN Charter, the Secretary General of ASEAN shall be assisted by four DSGs of different nationalities and shall come from four different ASEAN Member States. Two DSGs are nominated by the ASEAN Member States on a rotational basis for a non-renewable term of three years while two other DSGs are openly recruited based on merit for a three-year term which may be renewed for another three years.
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