30 June 2013 by Adeline Lum CM-
At 18 years old, Yeo Bee Yin felt an urgency to pray for Malaysia in a 40-day Fast and Pray for Malaysia held by NECF (National Evangelical Christian Fellowship). Little did she know, a decade after she made the prayer, she became part of the answer to that prayer she made!
On 13th June, YB Yeo Bee Yin—Ahli Dewan Undangan Rakyat (ADUN) in Damansara Utama— was the speaker of the Damansara Utama Full Gospel Businessmen (FGB) Fellowship, led by Victor Liew.
So, has she always been a patriot for Malaysia? How many of us would fall on our knees and pray for our country? Bee Yin was only a first year student in University Technology Petronas (UTP) at that time.
“I grew up reading my sejarah textbook like a holy book and trusted everything the media reported,” said Bee Yin. “But I was not super patriotic for the most part.”
However, God changed her heart once she started praying for Malaysia. She began to feel love for Malaysia and felt that this was the country that God has placed her in.
“So, the lesson I learned is that prayer changes heart. A lot of people pray to change God’s hand but God change my heart through prayer,” said Bee Yin.
Starting with only 20 people in the church ministry of UTP, she began to lead prayer meetings where she would ‘force’the increasing number of students who joined to pray for the nation.
“I believe that the formation of everything is built on prayer. When I was nominated for Damansara Utama, I received text messages saying, ‘Remember Bee Yin, you asked us to pray for the nation, now we are praying for you’,” Bee Yin said.
However, Bee Yin’s love for her country did not go untested.
In 2006, she graduated from UTP with an excellent GPA score of 3.95 over 4.00, gaining her a placement to study for Advanced Chemical Engineering in Cambridge University.
Describing herself as a ‘kampung girl’ who aspired to go overseas, this opportunity is too great to pass. However, after graduation from UTP, she was supposed to work for a company for ten years as the company’s scholar.
“I thought the company would sponsor me because my education would be an added value to them… But I was rejected, so were the other companies,” said Bee Yin who felt upset with the rejection although she did not blame anyone.
Knowing her daughter’s ambition, Bee Yin’s father promised to fund her for her education in Cambridge despite her father’s business difficulties. Nevertheless, she still had one more hurdle to cross; she would need to request her company for one year of deferment.
A few weeks after the request, she was invited to the education unit for an interview. Her dream crashed; the company told her that its policy would not allow deferment, unless she pays back the ten-year bond in one lump sum.
“I did not blame the company and I understood because they cannot allow everyone to get a deferment,” said Bee Yin.
Nevertheless, a small incidence in the education unit made her wonder about fairness in Malaysia.
While she waited in the lounge, she met two students returning from their fully sponsored four-year-program in Nottingham University in UK. Compared to her plea, she only asked for a one-year deferment without any sponsorship from the company. Yet, she was turned down. Also, not only these students’ results were at best mediocre, they did not speak proper English.
“I asked God, ‘I had been praying for this nation, I prayed and fasted for 40 days for this country for five year.’ So, I was very disappointed,” said Bee Yin who decided to look for other options.
But God was good because when He closes one door, He opens another door. An American company offered Bee Yin a job so lucrative that she could pay up her ten-years bond in just a few months.
“I made quite a bit of money and I forgot about Malaysia as my nation. To me at that time, it was not my country. My ambition was to climb the corporate ladder and work in the company’s Headquarter in Houston, Texas. So, I was having a good life,” said Bee Yin who was working in Turkmenistan.
But in 2008, she recalled reading about the political climate changing in Malaysia. She realized she still loved Malaysia, buried under a burden of frustration. For six months, she struggled in returning to Malaysia with the prospect of low-paying job and a dim future.
“I finally quit my job and returned to Malaysia, but I still wanted to go to Cambridge and prayed to God to fulfill my ambition,” said Bee Yin.
She applied to Cambridge University and not only God fulfilled her ambition, The Lord gave her a double-portion. She was awarded the prestigious Bill and Melinda scholarship, which was limited to only 50 non-UK students.
“If you walk in God’s Will and pray, He will do exceedingly abundantly. Time may delay the dream or desire in our heart. But if it’s God’s Will, He will give it to us at the right time in a right way,” said Bee Yin.
Hence, Bee Yin completed her Master’s program in Cambridge University. During her studies, she began to think about the possibility of a bright future, if only she stayed in UK. She struggled through the temptation of staying back through prayer. But at the end of 2011, she returned to Malaysia clueless of what to do.
“I told God, ‘Look, I can’t do anything to change this nation. Why do you want me to come back?” said Bee Yin.
Growing restless with her stay, she recalled one particular night when she prayed to God in leaving to Singapore.
“I told God that I am not going far. But He told me, ‘isn’t it the same for you if you go to Singapore? Why don’t you just stay overseas?’ So, I started my social marketing media company,” Bee Yin said.
And through her company, she came to know about her current party who was her client. In 2012, she assisted them for social media marketing.
“All of you are businessmen here. So, all of you know about return of investment. As a businessperson, I was thinking of maximizing my opportunity cost. So, I thought about joining politics,” said the savvy-minded Bee Yin who was open to the prospect of joining politics.
God flung open the door and she was offered to join as a representative of her political party. The leader told her that if she wanted to make an impact, she should join them. But Bee Yin was still torn to join politics.
“I thought since I have already come back to Malaysia, I should join and this would be God’s calling for me here. But still, I cannot decide. So, I consulted my pastor Timothy Loh in Eaglepoint church,” said Bee Yin.
Both of them were quite reluctant in making a decision, and leaned towards not joining politics due to its demands. But after a few days of prayer, Pastor Timothy gave her the green light.
“He sat me down and said, ‘okay, Bee Yin. You shall run and join for the party.’ So, I am the type of person who would listen to my pastor. When my pastor said yes, I went ahead,” said Bee Yin.
Joining the political arena was shocking at the beginning. She saw many weaknesses in herself. As an engineering student, she was better in technical-based skills than writing or speaking. She was also not used to the limelight, especially in receiving negative comments or feedback.
“I felt very small and I prayed to God asking Him how can He use me? I am so small. But a sister-in-Christ shared with me about giving my two fishes and five loaves of bread.”
“God was telling me that I don’t need a lot, but my two fishes and five loaves would be enough to make a change because He would multiply them for me,” said Bee Yin.
Another pastor’s wife encouraged her to join politics with the story of Elijah requesting a widow in Zarephath to make bread for him. This widow was so poor that she lived on a day-to-day providence of food.But Elijah promised her that her flour will not be used up nor will her jug of oil run dry.
“I was reminded again that if I can give a little of my flour and oil, God would do His part and send His rain of righteousness,” said Bee Yin.
Although many people are discouraged with recent events, God’s sovereign hands are still with us.
“Everything would fall into place in the right timing. We just need to pray, work hard and wait patiently for his Sovereign Will to be done in this nation,” said Bee Yin.
Let us pray for YB Yeo Bee Yin that she would lead her state of governance in wisdom, favor and protection by the Lord.
Do you love Malaysia? Do not give up hope in this country because God loves Malaysia too. Let us continue praying like how YB Yeo Bee Yin faithfully prayed for this country a decade ago.
May the Lord give YB Yeo Bee Yin wisdom, favor and protection in leading her place of governance in Damansara Utama.
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References for pictures:
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