CANBERRA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's new Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Leong Tan has rejected claims that Australia is a racist country.
Attorney-General Christian Porter on Friday announced that Tan, a Malaysian-born former lawyer and leader in the multicultural community, had been appointed the new race discrimination commissioner on a five-year term, filling the role that has been vacant since August.
It marks a significant step in the government's overhaul of the Australian Human Rights Commission, which could see the body charged with protecting religious freedoms.
In his first interview since being appointed, Tan, who will assume office on Monday, said that his life experience proved Australia was not a racist country.
"If it was, I wouldn't be here, mate," he told News Corp Australia on Friday.
"Every country has its racial problems to deal with. I think we have dealt with ours in a very good way in the sense that our system is totally non-discriminatory."
Tan's predecessor, Tim Soutphommasane, used his final speech in the role to take aim at the state of Australian politics, saying there had "never been a more exciting time to be a dog-whistling politician or race-baiting commentator in Australia."
However, Tan flagged a different approach to the role than Soutphommasane, saying that he viewed his role as that of a public servant rather than a public crusader.
Attorney-General Porter said Tan's story likes "that of so many Australians who were born overseas and chose to make a new life in Australia."
"I am confident that Mr Tan will make a valuable contribution to our community by representing all Australians and upholding our values through his role as Race Discrimination Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission," he said on Friday.
The attorney-general has previously insisted that the new discrimination commissioner should have empathy for Australian values as well as minorities.
"It's not about protecting any particular group ... it's fundamentally not about race as such but making sure that people, Australians, must have equal rights because of their race," Tan said.
