Ricky Chu Appointed As Equality Watchdog Head

The government has appointed Ricky Chu as the new chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

He succeeds Alfred Chan and begins his three-year term on April 11.

Chu has worked in the ICAC for 35 years, where he was the Director of Investigation before he retired for the second time earlier this month.

He first left the anti-graft body in 2010 to serve as the secretary general of the Independent Police Complaints Council before returning to the ICAC in 2016.

In a statement, the government said Chu has extensive experience in public service, and described him as a fair and impartial person who possesses good leadership, management and communication capabilities.

Chu, for his part, said he is honoured to be appointed, adding that he and the EOC share the common goals of building a pluralistic and inclusive society.

But the executive director of rights group Unison, Phyllis Cheung, questioned the appointment, saying Chu does not have any experience in anti-discrimination work.

She urged him to push forward much-needed reforms at the equality watchdog.

“I think the more important thing is to maintain its independence, and also, implement the reforms as soon as possible,” she said.

“A reform on the EOC is not limited to providing more legal assistance to the victims of dis but rather also in the areas of pushing forward legislation amendments, policy advocacy as well as public education,” she added.