Yeo Bee Yin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yang Berhormat Puan Yeo Bee Yin MP
杨美盈
Yeo Bee Yin in 2018
Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change
In office 2 July 2018 – 24 February 2020
Monarch	Muhammad V (2018–2019) Abdullah (2019–2020)
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Deputy	Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis
Preceded by	Wilfred Madius Tangau (Science, Technology) Maximus Ongkili (Energy) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Environment)
Succeeded by	Khairy Jamaluddin (Science, Technology) Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (Energy) Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Environment)
Constituency	Bakri
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Puchong
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 November 2022
Preceded by	Gobind Singh Deo (PH–DAP)
Majority	57,957 (2022)
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Bakri
In office 9 May 2018 – 19 November 2022
Preceded by	Er Teck Hwa (PR–DAP)
Succeeded by	Tan Hong Pin (PH–DAP)
Majority	23,211 (2018)
Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly for Damansara Utama
In office 5 May 2013 – 9 May 2018
Preceded by	Cheah Wing Yin (PR–DAP)
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Majority	30,689 (2013)
National Publicity Secretary of the Democratic Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 March 2025
Assistant	Young Syefura Othman Wong Shu Qi
Secretary-General	Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Preceded by	Teo Nie Ching
Deputy Women Chief of the Democratic Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 September 2023
Secretary-General	Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Women Chief	Teo Nie Ching
State Secretary of the Democratic Action Party of Selangor
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 November 2024
Assistant	Tony Leong Tuck Chee
Secretary-General	Anthony Loke Siew Fook
State Chairman	Ng Sze Han
Preceded by	Ng Sze Han
Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the Democratic Action Party
In office 12 November 2017 – 20 March 2022 Serving with Zairil Khir Johari
National Publicity Secretary	Tony Pua Kiam Wee
Secretary-General	Lim Guan Eng
Succeeded by	Ganabatirau Veraman
Personal details
Born	Yeo Bee Yin (1983-05-26) 26 May 1983 (age 42) Segamat, Johor, Malaysia
Citizenship	Malaysian
Nationality	Malaysia
Political party	Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Other political affiliations	Pakatan Rakyat (PR) (2008–2015) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2015)
Spouse	Lee Yeow Seng ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	3
Alma mater	Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Hwa Nan, Batu Anam Universiti Teknologi Petronas Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Field engineer
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	楊美盈
Simplified Chinese	杨美盈
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yáng Měiyíng Southern Min Hokkien POJ Iôⁿ Bí-êng
Yeo Bee Yin on Parliament of Malaysia

Yeo Bee Yin (simplified Chinese: 杨美盈; traditional Chinese: 楊美盈; pinyin: Yáng Měiyíng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Iôⁿ Bí-êng; born on May 26, 1983) is a Malaysian politician and engineer. She is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Puchong since November 2022. She was also a Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change from July 2018 to February 2020.

Yeo Bee Yin is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP). This party is part of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) group. She is currently the National Publicity Secretary of DAP. She also serves as the Deputy Women Chief of DAP and State Secretary of DAP for Selangor. She is also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children, and Community Development.

Early Life and Education

Yeo Bee Yin was born on May 26, 1983. She grew up in a small town called Batu Anam in Segamat, Johor.

Her School Journey

Yeo went to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Hwa Nan, Batu Anam. She later studied Chemical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). She graduated with top honors in 2006.

After working for two years, she continued her studies. She earned a Master's degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering. This was at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. She received a special scholarship for her studies.

Her Political Journey

Yeo Bee Yin started helping the DAP party in 2012. She officially joined the party later that year. She also advised the party on social media.

She is also the National Assistant Publicity Secretary of the DAP. She is the Vice Chairperson of Pakatan Harapan Youth. She also directs political education for DAP Wanita Selangor.

First Election Win

In the 2013 general election, Yeo ran for office for the first time. She won the seat for Damansara Utama in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly. She received a very high number of votes. She was the youngest member of the Selangor State Assembly at that time.

After winning, Yeo said her main goals were to reduce crime and traffic jams. She also wanted to fight floods and poverty.

Speaking Up for Children's Programs

In 2017, Yeo questioned how a children's education program called PERMATA was spending its money. She asked for the program's financial records to be made public. She also questioned why a non-elected person had such a big role in a government program. She believed that such programs should be managed by full government ministries.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In the 2018 general election, Yeo was chosen to run for the Bakri parliamentary seat. She won and became a Member of Parliament.

Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change

On July 2, 2018, Yeo became the Minister of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment. This was part of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's cabinet. The ministry's name was later shortened to MESTECC.

Boosting Renewable Energy

As minister, she worked to increase Malaysia's use of renewable energy. She aimed to raise the target from 2% to 20% by 2030. She also started a project to make government buildings use energy more efficiently.

Fighting Plastic Waste

Yeo also helped ban the import of plastic waste into Malaysia. She created a 12-year plan to stop the use of single-use plastics by 2030. Her work on the environment was recognized by the science journal Nature.

"Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastic"

Malaysia was ranked high in mismanaged plastic waste. This waste harms the environment, health, and economy. To fix this, Malaysia launched a plan in October 2018. This plan guides the country to reduce single-use plastics by 2030. Different states can follow the plan at their own pace.

Cancelling Power Plant Contracts

The Malaysian Government cancelled four power plant contracts. These contracts were given without open bidding. They were cancelled because the companies did not follow the rules. This saved the government a lot of money. It also prevented electricity bills from increasing too much.

Improving Solar Power Use

In 2016, Malaysia started a program called Net Energy Metering (NEM). This program encouraged people to install solar panels on their rooftops. It allowed them to generate their own renewable energy. They could also sell extra energy back to the power grid.

At first, not many people joined the program. So, in 2019, the government improved it. Now, for homes, every unit of solar energy sent back to the grid offsets one unit used. This helps reduce electricity costs for families. For businesses, a new system called SARE was introduced. This allows companies to install solar panels without paying upfront costs.

Large Scale Solar Projects

In 2019, the Malaysian government asked for bids for large solar power projects. These projects aimed to increase electricity from renewable energy. The cost of generating solar energy became cheaper than natural gas. This was due to new technology and open bidding.

Yeo expected that new solar plants would make electricity even more affordable. Malaysia needs a lot of investment to reach its goal of 20% renewable energy by 2025. The government is working to encourage more green investments.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act

A study showed that Malaysia could save a lot of energy. However, there was no law to make energy-saving practices common. So, MESTECC worked on a new law called the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (EECA). This law was expected to be presented in Parliament.

MESTECC also updated the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan. It set a new goal to save at least 8% of energy by 2025. They focused on buildings, as they use more than half of Malaysia's electricity. Improving energy efficiency in buildings can lead to big savings.

Decision on Lynas Plant Residue

The Ministry was concerned about the increasing amount of waste from the Lynas Advance Material Plants (LAMP). This waste contained radioactive materials. The Ministry decided that the waste could not keep building up.

Lynas Malaysia was told that the radioactive waste must be removed from Malaysia. They also needed a plan for their non-radioactive waste. This decision was made to protect the community and the environment.

Community Activities

Yeo's office runs two free tuition centers. These centers help students aged 7 to 17 from families with lower incomes. She also organizes a monthly food bank program. This program provides basic help to over 100 people.

She also works with the DAP's Impian Malaysia movement. She helped start a project in Kampung Sait, Sarawak. This project provides basic things like roads, water, and electricity to rural areas.

Yeo is the founder of LEAP (Leadership, Education, Activism and Politics). This program teaches students about politics and activism in Malaysia. She also founded the Lawatan Anak Muda (LAM) Programme. This program allows young people to visit the Malaysian Parliament and the Selangor State Assembly. They can also ask questions to Members of Parliament.

Personal Life

Yeo Bee Yin married Lee Yeow Seng on March 11, 2019. He is the CEO of IOI Properties Group Bhd. His father was a very successful businessman. Lee Yeow Seng and his elder brother inherited their father's business. They were listed among Malaysia's richest people. On January 6, 2023, Yeo gave birth to her third child, a son.

Awards and Recognitions

•  Malaysia :
  • Recipient of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (2024)

International Honours

• Nature's 10 – "Top 10 People Who Mattered in Science 2018" – By Nature, a British international science journal.
• 7 people who stood up for our planet in 2018 – By Eco-Business, a digital media company focusing on sustainable development in Asia Pacific.
• 25 inspirational female climate leaders – "25 female climate leaders shaping 2019" – By The Ecologist, a British environmental journal.
• 2019 Young Global Leaders – "127 Young Global Leaders 2019" – By World Economic Forum.