She has spent the last three years covering primarily politics and economic news in Southeast Asia. Her past work includes reporting on street protests in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, the Myanmar Rohingya community, and the rise of Islamic influence in politics and rule of law in Malaysia. In addition to Reuters, her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal. Leong holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and was formerly a chemist who worked in the advertising industry before entering the news business.