A Christian woman in Malaysian politics - YB Hannah Yeoh

We have heard so much in the last few years about the government and economic transformation programs, and many people put their hope in such programs to uplift and exalt Malaysia. However, the Bible says that there is only one thing that can exalt Malaysia, and that is righteousness alone. Not monuments, not infrastructure, not a vibrant economy, not a nice sounding slogan, but only righteousness alone. And unless we deal with issues related to righteousness, Malaysia cannot be exalted. It will only be a cosmetic change that is being implemented.

Due to the corruption in Malaysia, many young people feel that they cannot earn a decent living here. They have become frustrated and have left the country. Many young Malaysians have become citizens elsewhere. The sin of corruption is such a disgrace to them that they do not want to stay back in Malaysia and be related to this country anymore. There are many parents, even Christian parents, who have in one way or another, encouraged their kids to go overseas to find better jobs. However, God has a plan for us here in Malaysia, and His plan involves exalting Malaysia in South East Asia and also globally.

Hannah’s Experience in Politics in the last five years

Hannah never had any ambition that involved politics. At the age of 28, she joined DAP in PJ Utara mainly to support her friend Edward Lim. Her role up to 2008 was to arrange for food and drinks for the opening of Tony Pua’s service centre. She does not know many leaders or political issues. Like many young people, she was only concerned about her job and serving in church. She did not know the difference between a Member of Parliament, a State Assemblymen and a Local Councilor. If you do not know the difference between these, you have to find out so that you will not vote for the wrong person and for the wrong reasons. Hannah joined politics because she wanted to fight corruption and race-based politics.

Why politics?

> Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
> Fight corruption
> Fight race-based politics

Hannah was saved as a Christian in 1998, and during that time her focus was on Bible studies and serving in church and in the Overseas Christian Fellowship in Australia. Since then, her desire was to preach God’s Word, to go everywhere and testify of God’s goodness in her life.

In 2002, after completing her law degree in Australia, Hannah came back and did her chambering for nine months locally, and was admitted to the High Court in Malaysia. She made plans to return to Australia, because like many young people, she did not enjoy Malaysia. The nine months of chambering was tough, with very low pay, and she wanted to head off Down South.

Hannah decided to do her CLP in Tasmania so that she can work in Australia and leave Malaysia for good. She was also in a relationship back then with her boyfriend in Australia, and like many young people, she just wanted to be with him. She wanted to work in Australia and serve there, earn some money to send it home to her parents.

But God had another plan in mind. You can run away from God’s will, but you can never run away forever. If your heart is to seek God’s will, God will shut doors and make sure that you walk in the right plan. If you are confused and want to be sure of God’s plan for your life, pray and continue to seek God’s will, and God will shut doors that are not meant to be. God did that for Hannah.

Six months later, after completing her CLP in Australia, Hannah secured a good job as a lawyer in a renowned firm in Tasmania. All her friends from other fields have Permanent Residence (PR) but no job. She was the complete opposite. She had a job but the government refused to give her a PR. She became very bitter and angry. She thought she could get a PR as she secured a job, but the government pointed out that there were many other Australian law graduates without a job, so why should it be given to a Malaysian girl. So, she had to work hard to proof herself.

Hannah’s employer decided to end this conflict with the government by withdrawing her employment. Therefore, her dream came to an end. She had to come back to Malaysia and face reality; she had to be apart from her boyfriend and she lost her job there.

As Hannah was on her way home from the law firm in Australia, the Lord gave her a verse.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29: 11)

It did not seem to make sense, as she felt that coming back to Malaysia was a plan to harm her. She had to trust God during that time and obey Him. She did not try to open new doors.

Sometimes, when God closes a door for us, we sit at the shut door and throw a tantrum, cry and moan for months and we do not move on. We have to learn to get up and move on. When you choose to obey God and trust in His Word, He will fulfill His promises to you. He is not like Man. He cannot lie. When He tells you that He has a plan for you, to prosper you and not to harm you, you have to trust in Him.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (Acts 17:26)

You are not born as a Malaysian by mistake. God intended for you to be a Malaysian. Unless God specifically tells you to move, do not move. Stay back and play your part here, as a Malaysian.

Marriage

Hannah got married in January 2008. Parliament was dissolved in February 2008. The then Prime Minister, dissolved Parliament on February 13 amidst rumours on the date of the election. Even now, there have been many rumours about the next general election and people are speculating the date for the 13th General Election. Just remember that it can come upon us anytime, so we need to be prepared.

In February, when Parliament was dissolved, Hannah got a call from Edward. Edward told her that DAP asked if she could be on standby for election to be a candidate for Subang Jaya. She consulted her husband, who told her to say “yes” to be on standby, and to arrange a meeting to find out more about what being on standby meant. They spoke to the parents, and both Hannah’s father and father-in-law said that now is the time to do something for this country. A meeting was arranged, and Hannah’s husband secretly prayed that God would close the door if this was not His plan, but if it was God’s will, it will be confirmed that very day that the seat would be hers to contest for.

Lies

Hannah received her confirmation at the meeting, and in two weeks she had to prepare for the campaign in Subang Jaya. Up to that time, she still did not know the difference between the roles of the Member of Parliament, State Assemblymen and the Local Councilor. She did not know much about Subang Jaya, even though she had lived there all her life. Therefore, she had to study the issues, and be aware of what is happening. She had to study the incumbent administration and what they championed and fought for, and in turn, decide what she was going to champion or fight for the people of Subang Jaya.

It was a tough two weeks before nomination day, and she felt very anxious. She was not used to walking into a busy restaurant to shake everybody’s hand, moving from table to table to ask people to vote for her and give her a chance. She had to go to the pasar malam to shake the traders’ hands and everybody’s hand. Outside schools, she had to wait for the parents to pick up their kids, and hand out leaflets to them, asking them to vote for her. She also had to speak at ceramahs, something which she hated because she did not think that she was a good speaker. It was really daunting for her to speak for the first time at a ceramah to campaign as a candidate for Subang Jaya. During that time, the prominent people from her party came to Subang Jaya to endorse Hannah as a candidate.

Almost immediately, people started spreading lies about Hannah on the internet, saying that she has no time to serve the people as she just got married. Hannah also vowed at that time that she would not make any personal attacks on her opponent. It was quite tough, but she decided that as a Christian, if she did that, she would not be glorifying God. She will challenge them on their policies, but she will not direct any personal attacks.

Many people who had known Hannah for a long time came to speak at her rally, including her father-in-law, her school teachers and even her pastor. By the grace of God, she secured a two-thirds majority, and she won with a margin of 13,851 votes.

God’s Provision

After spending a lot of money on her wedding, Hannah and her husband were left with nothing much. They rented a house at the start. When she was told to run a campaign, all they could afford was RM700, knowing that by convention, they needed at least RM100,000 to run a successfully campaign. They did not have the money, so they just committed it to God in prayer. God sent two Christian elders from two different churches who were businessmen to support their campaign. They provided a sizeable amount to her without expecting anything in return. With that money, they could print T-shirts and buy more flags. Donations started coming in and they raised just enough to about RM100,000. God is very faithful. If He calls you to do something, He will provide.

When Hannah found out that she had won the election, she had mixed feelings about it. She was half-excited and half-sad because she knew that life was not going to be the same again. But this was in fulfillment of the prayers of the saints. Intercessors have been praying for years for God to raise up young people and to send them into the government. It has happened in 2008 and God will do so again in the coming elections.

Principle of Influence in Politics

These are the principles that have guided Hannah, which could be practiced by all.

Lead diligently

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)

People do not respect lazy leaders. This applies to all areas. There is no shortcut. God expects us to work. Many politicians appear only during elections to get votes, and after elections they disappear to play golf and travel overseas. They hardly have time for the people. As a Christian politician, you have to be different. You have to serve diligently. You are a servant first.

Pray without fail

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”(Exodus 33:15)

Hannah has tried going on for months to serve like a Martha, and forgot to be a Mary at the feet of God. She ended up very dry and frustrated. She has learned to pray and depend on God the way Moses did. It is important to pray as nothing works without prayer. She claims that this is very helpful, especially when you face an angry or hostile crowd.

Honour your Word

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37)

Therefore this is what the Lord says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.” (Jeremiah 15:19)

Many people cannot trust politicians because they think that politicians make empty promises. Hannah is very mindful of this and she would tell the people that she will try her best but she cannot make any promises. Politicians lose their credibility when they lie or make empty promises. So it is very important that politicians be careful with what they say because they will be judged by their words. You cannot change your stand.

As a politician, you have to manage complaints. Hannah can better understand Moses’ plight after receiving thousands of complaints every month via email. Yet, by being a person in authority, you also have opportunities to meet the needs of people, to care for the sick and feed the poor.

Delegate

Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. (Exodus 18:22)

If you want to do many things for God, you cannot do it all by yourself. You need to delegate the work. This applies to all areas, including corporations and ministries. Do not try to bear all the burdens on your shoulder. Moses understood that when his father-in-law told him to spread his load by delegating duties. Realise that we cannot do it alone.

Invest in the young

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Focus not only on this generation, but focus on the next generation as well. Many politicians do not want to focus on the next generation, i.e. the children, because children cannot vote. However, the country’s asset is manpower and human resources, and we need to start influencing the young. That is why Hannah spends her time with Malaysian students in Singapore and also East Malaysian students to encourage them to return home to make a difference for the land.

Mindful of who you represent and no compromise

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

As a State Assemblyman, Hannah receives her mandate from the people of Subang Jaya that consist of people from different faiths. Whilst she represents all peoples, she knows that spiritually, she represents Christ. In her position, she has to be at temples and mosques and listen to their problems. She has to be there for her people. Yet, she is mindful that she represents Christ, and that God is a jealous God. So while she is there at the temples and mosques, she does not do the “popular” thing to participate in the ceremonies or worship their gods.

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14)

In your zealousness to serve God, you must not compromise. Your mandate ultimately comes from God, and God can always take it back, if you are not serious about worshipping Him.

Seek counsel

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)

If you want to constantly make right decisions, you must seek counsel. Do not be too proud to ask for advice. Do not be too proud to acknowledge that you do not know everything. Hannah seeks counsel from senior politicians and pastors.

Mind your own business

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

This does not mean you should be indifferent. This means that you should stay committed to what God has called you to do, to do it well and do it faithfully. If it is necessary, speak up on issues, but do not be a busybody and get involved in petty politics or political fights. You have to do what you have been called to do faithfully, but you also have to care for others.

Fear God

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. (2 Samuel 22:21)

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. (Psalm 24:3-4)

It is those with clean hands and pure hearts whom God will bless. It is very important for a politician to come before God with clean hands, and clean hands mean that you must have integrity in handling taxpayers’ money. Hannah makes it very clear of being accountable in terms of details of allocation and the disclosure of amounts raised in fundraisers.

Family First

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

If you cannot manage your own family, how do you manage your duties as a politician? That is why people make fun of sex videos and sex scandals involving politicians, because if they cannot be faithful, if they cannot honour even their own wife, they are most likely to cheat on you. Remember that ministry begins at home first, because the people closest to us deserve our very best, before we go out and give to the rest.

The enemy will always attack our marriage and our family first, because if he can paralyze you at home, he can do much more damage to your work outside.

For young people who are not yet married, do not go out and look for a life partner on your own. Trust God to send the right person to you instead. Unless you have someone who can agree with you and walk with you in your calling and your passion, you cannot do marriage together. If God had not sent a man who also has an interest in nation building to Hannah, it will be so tough for her. Therefore, you should wait for God to send the right one to you.

Delight yourself in the Lord

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Hannah’s dream to go to Washington, D.C. was fulfilled when she looked to the Lord to provide for her. She got to go on an all-expenses paid trip to America for a leadership training program, and she was there for the inauguration of President Barack Obama during his first term.

Hannah decided to look to the Lord to provide for her to go to London as well, and she received the news that she will be representing the Selangor state government at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. She not only went to London, but to the European Union as well, to observe the government there.

When Hannah was expecting her first child, she also looked to the Lord to provide for her caesarian operation. They needed at least RM11,000 to operate in a private hospital. They decided to leave this to God, and planned to have the caesarian at a private clinic at USJ, which was a cheaper option. Before her file was transferred from the private hospital to the clinic, she went to Skyline SIB at Kota Kinabalu to preach. After she sat down, Pastor Philip Lyn went up on stage and said he felt led to collect an offering for Hannah’s baby. Hannah felt God was whispering to her, saying that this was for her desired caesarian. It was impossible to collect an offering of RM11,000, but at the end of the collection, they handed her an envelope with RM11,300.

Hannah can testify that in these five years, God has truly provided for all her needs. She does not lack anything. Obey God, and He will fulfill your needs.

In the beginning of her calling, Hannah was upset because she felt she had lost her life and she could not do the things that most young people could do, because she was now a public figure. She wondered if entering into politics had been the right decision, because she seemed so far from her longing to be a preacher. But if she had not obeyed, she would not have had the opportunity to preach at churches, to world leaders and to private schools, like she is doing now.

When God calls, obey Him. It may seem that you are on a detour now, but stay faithful and obedient, and God will unveil His entire plan to you. Stay faithful to your convictions, even when it hurts, and even when it is inconvenient.

Conclusion

It is now a very critical time in Malaysia. If we want Malaysia to change, we cannot depend on the leaders alone; change in Malaysia depends on the people. You can have the best leaders to govern the country, but if the people complain, if they are disobedient, if they do not want to change, if they continue to tolerate unrighteousness, they cannot enter the Promised Land.

Remember Joshua 5:6-7. Do not let a generation pass by. Vote for righteous leaders and play your part in ensuring that Malaysia is free from corruption and race-based politics.


Sermon summary contributed by Anthea Tan
Journal and prayer points contributed by Melissa Chua