Media Statement by Yeo Bee Yin on joining the Democratic Action Party on Monday 27 August 2012 in Kuala Lumpur:
My mom has rightly asked, “you can have a decent and comfortable life now already, why choose such a hard life?” The reason is because I love this nation and desire to see a better Malaysia.
I have met just so many young and bright Malaysians who left home for better opportunities abroad. If all of these continue, we’ll soon reach a point of no return.
Therefore I decided to join DAP to make a change. I do not want to be a bystander as my country is going through one of the most important turning points of history, either for the better or worse future. I do not want to regret at the latter part of my life, seeing my country at peril, just because people of my generation have not done enough and have chosen comfort over sacrifice. To quote Edmund Burke (埃德蒙·伯克), “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.
I believe that Malaysian youths can make a difference, and am always encouraged by Apostle Paul who wrote in a letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set an example in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, faith and purity.”
Yes, young Malaysians are on Facebook and Twitter most of the time and we do watch YouTube videos quite ‘a bit’ but we too are concerned about our environment, the welfare of fellow Malaysians and the future of our children. We have different opinions on how our country should be governed.
Therefore I want to make young voices heard and hope that more young Malaysians can join us or at their respective positions do their part, to make Malaysia a country that is free from corruption, united regardless of race and religion as well as competitive in the global economy.
How I hope to contribute to DAP
I will continue to use my expertise in social media to help DAP to reach out to the young and internet savvy whose support are critical in the next general election. I believe strongly that the social media will add a completely different dimension to political campaigning in the very near future.
At the same time, I have a strong interest in environmental, sustainability and energy policy and believe that this has been an area generally neglected by politicians. I will take part actively in policy-making when the opportunity arises by contributing my knowledge in this field constructively towards a greener Malaysia, as we move forward in economic development.
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** Yeo Bee Yin grew up in a small town in Segamat. She attended Chinese schools for both her primary and secondary education. Just like many kampung teenagers, she couldn’t speak English until she attended the university.
She studied Chemical Engineering in Universiti Teknologi Petronas under Petronas Scholarship and graduated top in the graduate year 2006. After 2 years of work, she continued her study in Cambridge University under Gates Cambridge Scholarship. She completed her MPhil in Advanced Chemical Engineering in Cambridge University with a Commendation from the Department of Chemical Engineering.
During her bachelor year, she spent 6 months interning in BASF Headquarter in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Prior to attending Cambridge University, she worked for Schlumberger as a Field Engineer in oil and gas industry. She was assigned to work in Turkmenistan and spent two years working in the desert and in the middle of the sea.
After a few years abroad working and studying, she was back to Malaysia end of 2010. She changed her career path entirely and started her own business in the new and growing social media industry.
Bee Yin currently serves as DAP HQ Social Media Strategy Advisor