Kuala Lumpur, 8 January 2019 – IDEAS has announced that in view of the appointment of Tan Sri Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria as the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, which took effect from 2nd January 2019, she has stepped down from the position of Chairman of IDEAS. Dr Rebecca Fatima, the former Secretary General of MITI, will continue to serve as a member of its board of directors, says IDEAS. “As chairman, Tan Sri Rebecca was instrumental in guiding our work under economic liberalization and regional economic integration”, says IDEAS CEO Ali Salman. The board of directors has appointed YAM Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz as the officiating chairman. Tunku Zain is the founding President of IDEAS and he has been engaged with IDEAS since its foundation in 2010, and earlier during its formation phase in London.