Youth of the Nation

Hannah Yeoh is on a mission to shape the future of Malaysia, one sport at a time

- Aaron Pereira

The former deputy minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Hannah Yeoh has hit the ground running in her new role as the current Minister of Youth and Sports.

Initially surprised by the portfolio that was handed to her under the premiership of Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Yeoh made the smart decision to first conduct an assessment of what is already in place, instead of changing things up straight away.

A sports enthusiast herself—besides being handball captain and head of the Blue sports house in school, she also did short distance running, swimming, tennis, and later played table tennis during her college years in Australia—she embraces the new role and preps for the journey that lies ahead.

Our interview takes place a couple of months after entering office; she is presently on a mission to listen and hear out the athletes and sports organisations, before taking the necessary steps to uplift the local sports scene alongside youth development, impacting the nation as a whole.

When asked for a glimpse into her daily life now, Yeoh mentions that while it’s hectic, she’s enjoying the role, as no two days are the same. “Say today I’m thinking about breakdance, then tomorrow it’s tower runners, the next day is the Paralympic council; [the list goes] on,” she says.