BackIn May 2015 the term of Papua New Guinea Ombudsman Rigo Lua ended. As a consequence, Mr Lua also resigned from his function as member of the IOI Board of Directors and vacated the position of one of the three Directors of the IOI’s APOR Region. APOR Regional President Colin Neave commenced a process within the region to fill this vacancy and confirmed the election of Ms Connie Lau, Ombudsman of Hong Kong as new member of the IOI Board.
Ms Connie Lau was appointed Ombudsman in April 2014, succeeding Mr Alan Lai. 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 IOI is also pleased to announce that Mr Asad Ashraf Malik, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh (Pakistan) has been elected as the new Director of the IOI’s Asian Region in August 2015. Ombudsman Malik will succeed Ms Panit Nitithanprapas, whose term as Chief Ombudsman of Thailand ended in October 2014.
Ombudsman Malik joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1972 as Assistant Superintendent, served as Commissioner of the Social Security of Sindh and as Chairman of Anticorruption Sindh from 2004 to 2008. In January 2008, Mr Malik was appointed Provincial Ombudsman of Sindh and reappointed for another four year term in January 2014. He served on the IOI Board as the Region’s President from 2011 to 2012.
On behalf of all members, the Institute congratulates Ombudsman Lau and Ombudsman Malik on their election and is looking forward to their active participation and fruitful cooperation in the future.
