BackOn 17 March 2014, the Government of Hong Kong announced the appointment of Ms Connie Lau Yin-hing as the new Ombudsman for a term of five years. She will take up her duties on 1 April this year, succeeding Mr Alan Lai as director of the Office of the Ombudsman.
For the first time in 15 years, the Ombudsman was appointed from outside the civil service. Ms Lau joined the Consumer Council in 1974 and was its Chief Executive from 2007 to 2012. She was widely recognised for advocating protection of consumer interests both at local and international level and has been active in public service as well. Ms Lau also participated in many advisory and statutory bodies such as the Expert Committee on Food Safety, the Advisory Committee on Travel Agents and the Estate Agents Authority, among others. In the course of her 30-years-experience, Ms Lau acquired profound leadership, management as well as communication skills.
The term of office of her predecessor, Mr Alan Lai, will expire on 31 March. Over the past five years, he has demonstrated strong commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights locally as well as internationally. By conducting independent and impartial investigations into complaints regarding alleged cases of maladministration, he has contributed significantly to a fairer and more efficient public administration in Hong Kong.
In his function as IOI Treasurer, Mr Lai has rendered outstanding services to the work and the objective of the Organisation and therefore contributed to the strengthening of Ombudsman institutions worldwide.
