Career
He is one of a handful of people of Chinese descent to have become a mayor in New Zealand. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Māori. He is the first person to serve five consecutive terms since Harry Barker retired in 1977.
Meng Foon"s mayoralty extends across New Zealand"s eastern most province with the largest proportion of native Maori population (according to the New Zealand census of 2005).
Meng Foon has several interests outside of his mayoralty. Following confirmation of the Ngati Porou deal, arranged under the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Acting 2004, Meng Foon was quoted as saying that "he did not believe many people would be disadvantaged by reduced access to the beach, as 90 per cent of the East Coast population was Maori anyway.".