Youthful legislator Yap Soo Huey tests DAP’s democracy in Penang

Eyebrows were raised when first-term Penang lawmaker Yap Soo Huey shot a volley of questions at the state government in the legislative assembly, telling the DAP-led administration to be more accountable over the controversial Gurney Drive reclamation plan.

The interest sparked by her stern probing of the state government, which is led by her own party, was not just because she was young and new.

At 32, Yap, the assemblyman for Pulau Tikus, represents a new generation of professionals and activists lured to the DAP for its espoused reformist ideals.

Her entry into politics from a career in science, and victory in her election debut in the national polls last year, also explained why Umno Youth is worried that the opposition parties are doing better at injecting young blood into its leadership.

Yap’s critical stance on development issues appeared to test the tolerance for democracy advocated by the party while in power.

“As a junior backbencher it is actually quite tough to question the top leadership,” she acknowledged in an interview with The Malaysian Insider.

“But the whole essence of the state assembly is not just to sing praises to the government, but to discuss.

“At the end of the day, DAP still has to live by its code of democracy.”

Yap said she is aware that any negative portrayal of the DAP-led administration may affect people’s confidence in the party as it works to take over the federal government.

So there is naturally an inclination to be cautious, but she says she has never been reprimanded for raising issues.

In fact, visible signs that democracy is being put into practice under the current state government are helping to also break cultural boundaries, particularly in drawing Malays to the Chinese-majority party.

“Now that the DAP has been in government for a while in Penang, there are a lot of Malay communities which have gotten used to us,” Yap said.

“They have begun to be more open to us. That trend is quite clear.”

Yap said some issues are big enough that they should not just be discussed internally behind closed doors.

“One should also be able to discuss it openly, so that the public is aware of upcoming decisions and considerations that affect the public," she said.

“That is the only way to encourage a socially and politically engaged and knowledgeable public, and a transparent and accountable government.”

Swift move into politics

Yap, a scientist by training, found herself foraying into politics rather fortuitously.

Having completed her degree in biotechnology at Monash University in Australia, the Penangite was working as a virologist in Melbourne when she met DAP stalwarts Liew Chin Tong and Lim Guan Eng, the Penang chief minister, during their trip there a few years ago.

Since going to Australia in 2001, Yap had kept abreast with news in Malaysia and frequented blogs, but it was her meeting with Liew in 2009 that culminated in her joining the DAP.

Events then unfolded quickly, with her joining Lim’s office in the state government as his Science, Technology and Innovations officer in April 2011.

Within two years she was chosen by the party to contest in the Pulau Tikus state constituency where she grew up. She won the seat in the general election of May 2013.

Applying scientific training to current work

Yap said it was natural to apply aspects of her scientific training into her new line of work, especially in terms of making it evidence and data-based.

One of the first things she did was to initiate a Spatial Planning Study, covering aspects like local businesses, traffic and recreation, and a three-month study on public transport and bus usage.

She also found herself tackling controversial development problems.

There was the controversy surrounding the 150-year-old Kampung Siam where the residents faced eviction to make way for development. The issue saw substantial media interest.

However, the Gurney Drive reclamation project has been particularly sensitive as the state government has a stake in the company undertaking it, but Yap has no qualms in raising questions on environmental aspects of the project.

This was especially so as she has examined the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which was approved by the Department of Environment without responding to official public feedback that had highlighted numerous concerns.

“The whole idea of science is to ask questions,” Yap said.

“My technical training made me confident and comfortable reading technical reports, and to ask questions.”

Community of Pulau Tikus dying out

She has also been highlighting pressures faced by the traditional communities of Pulau Tikus, such as increasing rentals and loss of customers to new hypermarkets and malls.

“A lot of sundry shops have closed down,” she said.

“If there are no intervening or mitigating measures, we will see the dying out of the community in Pulau Tikus.”

Yap said she has been working as though she will not have a second term, although she hopes to get re-elected so that she can see her work through.

Whether or not she stays in government, the skills she has acquired as an assemblyman will be useful and she plans to build on them.

So will her activism for what she feels is good for the area.

“I lived in Pulau Tikus all my life. My family home is in Pulau Tikus,” she said.

“When I am 60 or 70 years old I still want to be able to walk around Pulau Tikus and not feel ashamed for not having taken a stand (against undesirable developments).” – December 7, 2014.