Keefe Ong

Keefe Ong is a Partner at Aqran Vijandran, advising clients on corporate, commercial, and franchising matters with a particular focus on international commercial law and cross-border transactions. A qualified lawyer in Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Australia, he is skilled at navigating multi-jurisdictional legal systems and aligning legal structures with commercial objectives. He combines practical business insight with precise legal strategy, especially in designing franchise models, managing international expansions, and negotiating complex commercial agreements. In parallel, Keefe serves as Executive Director of Smart Reader® Worldwide, Malaysia’s largest and most established chain of franchised early childhood education centres under the Smart Reader Kids® brand. With over a decade of hands-on experience in early childhood education and franchising, he has led strategic initiatives that strengthen the quality, accessibility, and impact of the group’s programmes and services. He has overseen Smart Reader Kids®’ international expansion into markets including Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the UAE, giving him first-hand exposure to the regulatory, cultural, and operational realities of building businesses across borders, and allowing him to craft legal solutions that are both robust in law and workable in practice.