ABOUT THIS EPISODE
From Malaysia to leading New Zealand's Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin Singham, Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, shares his leadership journey, social cohesion vision, and public service leadership in this purpose-driven interview about diversity, racism, and ethnic communities in New Zealand.
"It's enormously enriching to have compassion and kindness in one's heart. Compassion is not a weakness. It is a huge strength. It is the glue that binds everything."
From a strict orthodox Sri Lankan family in Malaysia to leading one of New Zealand's newest ministries, Mervin Singham's story is one of courage, purpose, and channelling rage into justice. As the first Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin is focused on building social cohesion, equity, and belonging for all communities across Aotearoa.
In this conversation, Mervin shares what it was like to build the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from scratch, the toll of hearing survivors' stories, how racism in Christchurch shaped his entire career, and why social cohesion is the long game New Zealand can't afford to ignore.
About Mervin Singham
Mervin Singham is the first Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and a vastly experienced public servant who previously led the Office of Ethnic Affairs.
Prior to becoming the Ministry's first CE, Mervin was appointed Executive Director of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions in 2018, where he built the commission from 7 people to 260 staff.
Before that, Mervin held executive roles at the Department of Internal Affairs, served as Chief Mediator at the Human Rights Commission, and was Complaints Manager at the Office of Race Relations Conciliator. He holds a Master of Laws (1st Class Honours) from Auckland University.
In this episode:
- Why Mervin walked away from a law career to run a 150-seat restaurant at 24
- How experiencing racism in Christchurch in the 1980s shaped his entire career
- What it was like building the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from scratch
- How survivors' distrust of institutions challenged everything the commission expected
- Why having a seat at the decision-making table is only the first step for ethnic communities
- The challenge of measuring social cohesion and making the case to Treasury
- How the ministry turned Muslim youth energy into a civic leadership programme after Gaza
- His personal values and why kindness is not a weakness
Timestamps
(00:00) How racism and justice shaped a public service leader
(00:41) Meet Mervin Singham, chief executive of ethnic communities
(02:02) Why he left the Royal Commission
(05:09) The emotional toll of investigating abuse
(08:42) Growing up in a strict Sri Lankan family in Malaysia
(11:02) Why he chose a restaurant over a law firm
(14:52) Arriving in New Zealand and the culture shock
(16:54) When racism opened his eyes in Christchurch
(19:56) How rage became a career in justice
(27:42) What the Ministry for Ethnic Communities really does
(36:28) The Christchurch mosque attacks and what came after
(49:48) How do you measure the ROI of social cohesion
Learn more about Mervin and his work
- Ministry for Ethnic Communities: https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervin-singham-3201938/
Learn more about Azoora and her work
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/
- Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/
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