Yeo Bee Yin (Chinese: 杨美盈) is a Malaysian politician and chemical engineer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Puchong since 2022. She previously represented Bakri in the Dewan Rakyat from 2018 to 2022 and served as the Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Damansara Utama from 2013 to 2018.
A member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, Yeo served as the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change from 2018 to 2020 under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during the Pakatan Harapan administration. During her ministerial tenure, she oversaw policies relating to renewable energy, environmental protection, climate change, science and innovation, and Malaysia's transition towards sustainable development.
Following the 2022 general election, Yeo was elected as the Member of Parliament for Puchong after previously representing Bakri for two parliamentary terms. Since June 2023, she has chaired the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development, leading parliamentary inquiries and policy recommendations on issues including early childhood care and education, child protection, anti-bullying measures and women's participation in leadership.
Within the Democratic Action Party, Yeo serves as the party's National Publicity Secretary, Selangor State Secretary and Deputy National Women Chief.
Before entering politics, Yeo worked as a chemical engineer in the energy industry. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Chemical Engineering before returning to Malaysia to enter public service.
Early life and education
Yeo was born on 26 May 1983 in Segamat, Johor, and spent her early childhood at Gomali Estate before her family relocated to Batu Anam. She was raised in a large family with five siblings. Her father worked as a rubber estate manager before becoming a small-scale rubber tapper, while her mother was a homemaker. Growing up in rural Johor, Yeo has described education as the principal avenue through which she sought to improve her future.
She received her primary education at SJK (C) Hwa Nan in Batu Anam before attending SMJK Seg Hwa in Segamat. During her secondary school years, she was active in academic and co-curricular activities and later credited her teachers and school environment for cultivating her interest in mathematics and science.
Yeo was awarded a Petronas scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). She graduated with first-class honours in 2006.
Following graduation, Yeo joined the multinational oilfield services company Schlumberger as a field engineer. Her work involved assignments in Malaysia and overseas, providing exposure to the petroleum industry and multinational corporate operations.
In 2009, she was awarded the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue an MPhil in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge. She completed the programme with a commendation.
While studying and working abroad, Yeo has said that developments surrounding the 2008 Malaysian general election prompted her to reconsider her long-term career plans and eventual return to Malaysia. Although she had not initially intended to enter politics, she later described this period as the beginning of her growing interest in public policy, governance and national development.
Political career
Entry into politics
Following the completion of her postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge, Yeo returned to Malaysia at a time of significant political change following the 2008 Malaysian general election, which saw the opposition make unprecedented electoral gains. She later described the election as a turning point that prompted her to reconsider her long-term career ambitions and become more interested in public policy, governance and institutional reform.
After returning to Malaysia, Yeo became involved with the Democratic Action Party (DAP), initially volunteering for the party before formally joining it in 2012 alongside economist Ong Kian Ming. She subsequently served as a social media strategist for DAP and as special assistant to Tony Pua, then the Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara. Under Pua's mentorship, Yeo gained experience in policy research, constituency service and political communications, while becoming increasingly involved in the party's organisational and policy work.
Yeo has cited the opportunity to contribute to institutional reform and evidence-based policymaking as key motivations for entering politics. Drawing on her engineering background, she advocated applying analytical and data-driven approaches to public administration and governance, themes that would later feature prominently in both her parliamentary work and her published writings.
In preparation for the 2013 Malaysian general election, DAP selected Yeo to contest the Damansara Utama state constituency in Selangor, marking her first electoral contest.
Selangor State Legislative Assembly (2013–2018)
Election to Damansara Utama
In the 2013 Malaysian general election, Yeo made her electoral debut as the Democratic Action Party (DAP) candidate for the Damansara Utama seat in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly. Contesting under the DAP as part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, she received 37,303 votes, or 84.21 per cent of the votes cast. She defeated Malaysian Chinese Association candidate Lim Choon Kin, who received 6,614 votes, and independent candidate Liew Wei Beng, who received 380 votes. Yeo won the seat with a majority of 30,689 votes.
The result gave Yeo the largest majority recorded for a state legislative seat in the 2013 general election. At the age of 29, she also became the youngest member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly during the 2013–2018 term.
Legislative and committee work
As a first-term assemblywoman, Yeo focused on issues relating to institutional governance, public accountability and state administration. She was an active participant in debates in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, where she spoke on matters including state finances, public procurement, water restructuring, local government and public service delivery.
During her tenure, Yeo also became involved in discussions surrounding the restructuring of Selangor's water industry, an issue that dominated state politics during the period. She later described the experience as formative in shaping her understanding of public policy, negotiations between different levels of government and the importance of institutional reforms in improving governance.
Beyond her legislative responsibilities, Yeo maintained constituency service in Damansara Utama, addressing municipal issues, infrastructure improvements and residents' concerns while regularly engaging with local communities.
Transition to federal politics
In March 2018, the Democratic Action Party announced that Yeo would leave the Damansara Utama state seat to contest the federal constituency of Bakri in Johor at the 2018 Malaysian general election. The move formed part of the party's electoral strategy to strengthen its presence in Johor, where several senior leaders were fielded in key parliamentary constituencies.
Member of Parliament for Bakri (2018–2022)
2018 general election
In March 2018, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) announced that Yeo would contest the parliamentary constituency of Bakri in Johor at the 2018 Malaysian general election, leaving the Damansara Utama state seat after a single term. The move formed part of the party's strategy to strengthen its presence in Johor ahead of the election.
At the general election held on 9 May 2018, Yeo was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bakri after receiving 38,718 votes (62.65%), defeating Koh Chon Chai of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), who received 15,507 votes (25.09%), and PAS candidate Md Zahrul Salleh, who received 7,575 votes (12.26%). She won the constituency with a majority of 23,211 votes as Pakatan Harapan formed the Federal Government for the first time in Malaysia's history.
Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (2018–2020)
Appointment
Following the victory of Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 2018 Malaysian general election, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced his first Cabinet on 21 May 2018, appointing Yeo as the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC). At the age of 35, she was among the youngest members of the Cabinet.
The newly established ministry combined the portfolios of energy, green technology, science, technology, innovation, environment and climate change under a single ministry. As minister, Yeo was responsible for formulating and implementing national policies relating to renewable energy, electricity supply, scientific research, technological innovation, environmental protection and Malaysia's climate commitments under international agreements.
During her tenure, Yeo introduced a number of policy reforms aimed at accelerating Malaysia's transition towards renewable energy, strengthening environmental governance, promoting science and innovation, and improving the country's sustainability agenda. Several initiatives introduced during her administration, including reforms to the Net Energy Metering (NEM) programme and stricter regulation of imported plastic waste, received both domestic and international attention.
Renewable energy
One of Yeo's principal policy priorities was expanding Malaysia's renewable energy sector and reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels. During her tenure, the ministry introduced reforms to the Net Energy Metering (NEM) programme to improve its commercial viability and encourage greater adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems by households, businesses and industrial users.
Her ministry also continued the implementation of the Large Scale Solar (LSS) competitive bidding programme, which sought to increase renewable energy generation through utility-scale solar projects while reducing generation costs through open tender. The programme contributed to the declining cost of solar electricity in Malaysia and supported the government's target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the national electricity mix.
In 2019, MESTECC announced the country's target of increasing renewable energy capacity to 20 per cent of installed electricity generation capacity by 2025, excluding large hydroelectric projects. The target was presented as part of Malaysia's broader transition towards a lower-carbon economy and was supported by new regulatory frameworks and market reforms to encourage private-sector investment in renewable energy.
Environmental policy
In 2018, MESTECC launched the Malaysia Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018–2030, which outlined a phased approach to reducing the use of single-use plastic products through regulatory measures, industry engagement and public awareness initiatives. The roadmap formed part of the government's broader strategy to improve waste management and transition towards a circular economy.
Environmental protection was another major focus of Yeo's tenure as minister. Shortly after taking office, she pledged to strengthen the enforcement of environmental regulations and address Malaysia's growing role as a destination for imported plastic waste following China's ban on foreign plastic waste imports in 2018.