Ministerial Multicultural Advisory Council

Mr Enzo Sirna AM — Co-Chair

Mr Surya Ambati — Member

Surya Ambati has more than 30 years of engineering, operational, technical and management of railway infrastructure experience.

Surya is the past President of the Indian Society of WA (ISWA). He led the development and implementation of the new ISWA Constitution, established the ISWA Council comprising of presidents and representatives of all Indian community associations, and was instrumental in ensuring that ISWA successfully operated as the peak umbrella body of all Indian community associations. Surya also played a critical role in acquiring the land for the first Indian Community Centre of Australia in Perth and funding for its building.

Dr Ting Chen - Member

Dr Ting Chen is the President of the Chung Wah Association, the largest and most established Chinese organisation in WA, founded in 1909.

Chun Wah serves as the bridge between the Chinese community and mainstream society through promoting harmony, preserving heritage and practising humanity.

Dr Chen migrated to WA in 1995, and obtained a PhD in Chemistry from Murdoch University in 2003. He has been an active volunteer and community leader since 1997.

Mr Abdullah Khan — Member

Abdullah Khan has been leading the Australian Islamic College Perth as Executive Principal and Chief Executive Officer since 2011.

He is a Member of the WA Police Muslim Advisory Group and the President of the Islamic Schools Association of Australia.

Ms Joansy King — Member

Joansy King is the Chief Executive Officer of the Karen Welfare Association of WA and Co-Founder of the association. She also has experience as a Senior Case Manager with the Multicultural Services Centre of WA.

She is  passionate with the work she does within the government, international organisations, and social services industry.

Her focus has always been assisting people with complex issues both in Australia and internationally, in which she has been successful together with her team.

Her roles include: 

• Advocate for White Ribbon Australia
  
• Community Representative of the WA Police Multicultural Women's Advisory
  
•  Co-Chairperson of the Australian Karen Social Service Network
  
• President of the Karen New Year Celebration Committee WA.

Mr Salim Youssef — Member

5 May 1969 to 31 August 2022

Salim Youssef worked to implement community projects with local government and other community groups.

Ms Meredith Hammat MLA, Member for Mirrabooka — Member

Meredith was elected to the WA Parliament in March 2021. The electorate of Mirrabooka is one of the most diverse in the State and Meredith enjoys working with representatives of the many culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the area.

Before entering Parliament, Meredith was the Secretary of Unions WA for eight years, from 2012 until 2020 and Assistant Secretary of the Australian Services Union between 1999 and 2006. Meredith has held a number of positions on WA Government boards and advisory committees, including the State Training Board, the Sustainable Health Review, My Leave (the Construction Industry Long Service Leave Fund) and the LNG Jobs Taskforce.

Meredith has a master’s degree from the University of WA and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Wendy Rose — Member

Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre (EDAC) since 2010, Wendy leads a team that is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) and Aboriginal backgrounds. 

Wendy has made significant contributions to the multicultural sector through policy development, systemic advocacy and community development. Her extensive contributions to social justice issues in the multicultural sector have been driven by her experience of growing up in South Africa under the Apartheid regime.

Throughout her decades of community service, Wendy has worked as trainer, project officer, evaluator, community development officer, systemic advocate, policy officer and manager. Her knowledge and practice have been informed by tertiary qualifications in Applied Science (Psychology) and Education, and further studies in management, training, project management, communication and relationship building.

Ms Anna Maria Harrison JP — Member

Anna Harrison has been CEO of Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services since 2000 and has worked in the community care sector for more than four decades.

She has received many awards for her work, including the Dr Olga Kanitsaki Award for Individual Excellence in 2018, which is awarded for exceptional commitment and initiative in the delivery of services to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in aged care.

Anna also received the Lifetime of Achievement Award in the 2018 Aged and Community Services Australia Aged Care State Awards.

Ms Haweya Ismail — Member

Haweya Ismail has eight years of experience in the start-up, sustainability and innovation sector, building her own social business supporting farmers in Somaliland as well as helping fellow CaLD entrepreneurs create strong social impact-driven business models, products and services. 

She has won several awards for her social business, including the national BSchool Ideas Nation Pitch Competition where she was awarded a $20,000 business grant.

Mr Geoff Midalia — Member

Geoff Midalia is President of the Jewish Community Council of WA, the umbrella group that represents all Jewish community organisations and all Jews to the wider community.

Geoff was the founder and managing director of Midalia Steel for 36 years, has served on the board of Maurice Zeffert Aged Care for six years, and in operations of the Menora Charity Fund for three years.

Mr Ted Nguyen — Member

Ted Nguyen arrived in Perth as a refugee in 1984. He later completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Western Australia and now has more than 22 years of experience in the government sector. His work has encompassed planning through to the design, construction and commissioning of large complex infrastructure transport developments in WA.

Ted also works to connect culturally and linguistically diverse communities to the wider community through sport. He has been President of the Westnam United Soccer Club since 1998, as well as director and coordinator of the Annual Perth Asian Community Soccer Cup.

Ms Yati Winfield — Member

Yati Winfield is chair of the Southwest Indonesian Community and secretary for the Indonesia Covid-19 Relief Fund committee.

Yati settled in Busselton in 2008 and has extensive experience in the hospitality sector and as an event manager. She is inspired by the cultural and linguistic diversity of the area and recognises the importance of sharing knowledge and experience between communities and supporting each other through a range of activities.

Apart from organising community events, Yati supports victims of domestic violence and people with mental health problems, especially those with Indonesian background.

Mr Morteza Tabatabaee — Member 

Morteza is the executive director of Prime IT Solutions Pty Ltd and has around 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He has also more than 18 years of experience in social entrepreneurship, establishing and managing not-for-profit charity and community organisations, managing relationships with multiple stakeholders with competing demands and agendas, creating strategic plans, team development, collaboration management, program management, community engagement and partnership management.

Morteza is currently chair of the Iranian Association Inc (since 2007), principal of Persian Language School WA and board member of Tabatabaee Charity Foundation for Children.

He also served on many boards and committees, and was president of Iranian Community of WA for 10 years.

Mr Amit Khullar — Member

Amit Khullar is a Business Development Manager at the Australian Tertiary Institute, Sheila Baxter Training Centre and Unique Security Services.

Amit is also deputy chair of the Federation of Indian Associations of WA (FIAWA), an umbrella body of 63 member organisations. FIAWA provides services and facilities for Western Australians with Indian heritage, including community centres, bereavement, student and old age services, and domestic violence assistance.

Amit is also secretary of the National Kabaddi Federation of Australia and past president of Perth Kabaddi Club. Kabaddi is a popular competitive sport in India.

Dr Casty Nyaga — Member

Dr Casty Nyaga CPA is the executive vice president (administration and finance) for the Organisation of African Communities in WA (OACWA), national treasurer of the Federation of African Communities Councils in Australia (FACCA) and a former board member of the Kenyan Community in WA (KCWA).

Casty mentors accountants and community leaders to help them establish a successful future in WA. In 2019, she was awarded the Australia Day Individual Award by the City of Wanneroo, and named Mentor of the Year in the Women in Finance Awards in December 2021.

As an active and respected community leader, Casty is committed to using her skills and experience to help migrants make significant contributions to WA’s multicultural community. She is committed to using her skills to put in place systems, procedures, resources and values that promote WA’s communities with African background. 

Dr Oanh Oanh Thi (Carina) Hoang, PhD

Balli Singh

Maria de Silva