Meng Liu Foon (Chinese: 廖振明; Cantonese Yale: Liuh Jan-mìhng ; born c. 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the mayor of Gisborne from 2001 to 2019.

He served as New Zealand's race relations commissioner from August 2019 to June 2023, resigning after failing to declare payments of $2 million he took for emergency housing while director of an investment company.

His mother is Ng Heng Kiu (Helen) of Hong Kong and his father is Liu Sui Kai (George) of Guangzhou.

[6] Foon attended Makaraka School where he was exposed to Māori culture including flax making and the haka war dance.

During the mayoral campaign, he highlighted his family values, business acumen, Māori language fluency, and financial management skills.

[5] Following confirmation of the Ngāti Porou deal, arranged under the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, 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.

[12] In December 2019, Foon criticised the cartoonist Garrick Tremain's cartoon in the Otago Daily Times which made light of the measles epidemic in Samoa, calling it a "slap in the face" for the victims' families.

[14] In early November 2020, Foon as Race Relations Commissioner defended Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta's kauae moko facial tattoos after right-wing blogger Olivier Pierson mocked them as the "height of ugly, uncivilised wokedom."

[15] In March 2021, Meng Foon added his voice to those calling for an end to the reality show Police Ten 7[16] - which sparked controversy.

He stated that it was very important for councils and all organisations to create the right space for Māori to honour the Treaty of Waitangi and to express their culture and language.

Clark responded by calling for Foon to resign as Race Relations Commissioner for not investigating poet Tusiata Avia for making alleged hate speech in a poem criticising British explorer Captain James Cook.

[21][22][23] In response, ACT Party leader David Seymour and National's justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith called on Foon to resign as Race Relations Commissioner due to the apolitical and independent nature of the position.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins responded that Allan had taken steps to address the matter but described Foon's political donations to both Labour and National as a "balanced approach to supporting various candidates regardless of their party affiliation.

[24] On 16 June 2023, Foon resigned as Race Relations Commissioner after failing to declare several conflicts of interest as required under the Crown Entities Act.