AS Malaysia’s youngest woman minister, Yeo Bee Yin hopes to instil her personal mantra into the public service sector – talk less, do more, and do it with excellence.
The 35-year-old said she has little time or interest to answer her critics, who say she is too young and inexperienced to run the Energy, Green Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Ministry.
Even some of her fellow DAP members have expressed unhappiness that more experienced lawmakers, such as Perak party chief Nga Kor Ming and Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen, were bypassed for posts.
“Actually, I have nothing to say about this.
Yeo was appointed to the cabinet position last week, after The Malaysian Insight first reported her name being on a list sent to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for approval.
“I was very surprised. When (Dr Mahathir) called, my heart was racing.
“I actually did not hear clearly what he said, because the ministry’s name is very long, so I was actually not very sure that it was an appointment for the post of minister,” she told The Malaysian Insight.
Yeo’s academic and political credentials are impressive. A chemical engineer by training, she obtained her master’s from Cambridge via a scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She was a recipient of the Petronas Scholarship, graduating from Universiti Teknologi Petronas with First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering.
Yeo was elected as Damansara Utama assemblyman when she was 29, making her the youngest member of the Selangor Assembly, from 2013 to this year.
In the 14th general election, she took a big risk by contesting Johor’s Bakri seat – a move which has paid off for the PH Youth vice-chairman.
Yeo said as minister, she hopes to impart the values of hard work and excellence to those working with her, and said she believes that a change in Malaysians’ mindset and culture is the key to a brighter future for the country.
“I want the ministry to be excellent. I want everything that we do, the spirit that we do it in, to be in pursuit of excellence.
“If I don’t do my best, if I slack as a minister, the people will be shortchanged.
“These are some of the values that we want to impart to the ministry.”
Prior to the May 9 polls, Yeo had published a book, Reimagining Malaysia, in which she lists policies that she believes will help transform the country.
To be in a position where she can put some of those policies in place and help craft a new Malaysia for future generations is something for which she is very appreciative.
“I’m very grateful. Earlier this week, I had my first cabinet meeting,” said Yeo.
“You know, to be able to be in the first cabinet of ‘Malaysia Baru’ is something that I’m very grateful for.
“This is the responsibility that has been given to me.
“I have to do my best to change the country, and make an impact on the country.” – July 7, 2018.
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Comments
Posted 5 years ago by Zakaria Abd Rahman · Reply
Young and inexperience, fresh and clean sheet, energectic and willing to consider the RAKYAT view will do the JOB.
All the best YBYBY
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