Welcoming Rebecca to her new position, IDEAS CEO Wan Saiful Wan Jan said her leadership put the think tank on solid footing to enhance its capacity for policy research.
Rebecca meanwhile said she was looking forward to the new challenge, and to working with a young and dynamic organisation.
“While there is much that IDEAS has already and can further do for Malaysia, I am looking forward to seeing IDEAS provide more policy analyses that contribute towards the deepening of Asean economic integration,” she said in a statement.
Rebecca was Miti secretary-general from 2010 to 2016. There, she provided oversight for the formulation and implementation of Malaysia’s international trade policies and positions.
This includes Malaysia’s participation in bilateral, regional and multilateral forums.
She also provided oversight for the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and other bilateral and regional free trade agreements, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
She has chaired the Asean Senior Economic Officials Meeting and the Asean High Level Task Force for Economic Integration, and was Asean chair for the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement and chief negotiator for the bilateral free trade agreements with India and Turkey.
Rebecca also serves on the boards of RHB Bank Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd, Lafarge Malaysia Bhd, Eco World International Bhd, Sunway Construction Bhd and MyKasih.
Other members of the IDEAS board of directors include Wan Saiful, Tunku Zain al-‘Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, R Thillainathan, Christopher Leong and Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad.