M Ali has been with RSIS since June 2010 as a Senior Fellow. Besides monitoring security in Southeast Asia, he is Supervisory Editor of RSIS Commentaries and other RSIS publications.
He was with the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies from 2001 to 2004. Before that he served 31 years with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs; his foreign posting included being Charge d’Affaires in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Ambassador to Cambodia from 1995 to 2000. Post-retirement, he also served in MINDEF as Counsellor in Cairo from 2005 to 2010.
Born in Johor, Malaya in 1941 he was educated in Singapore and obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at University of Singapore in 1968. He worked as a Reporter with the Straits Times and later Radio and Televison Singapore between 1959 and 1966.
M Ali was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Silver) by the President of Singapore and Commander, Royal Order of Sehemetrai by the King of Cambodia.
