KOTA Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap Yau Sin, is a beacon of unwavering dedication to his constituency.
And he has been keeping a hectic pace both as a lawyer and people’s representative.
In an interview with the New Sarawak Tribune, he shares his story.
New Sarawak Tribune: Who inspired you to be the politician you are today?
Our current Head of State, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, has significantly influenced my political career. I joined the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in 1992. I then joined his law firm, Wan Junaidi and Co., in early 1993, during his tenure as a Member of Parliament for Batang Lupar. It was basically through interaction in the firm that I learned a lot. Tun Pehin Sri Dr. Wan Junaidi later encouraged me to return to politics and pursue my Masters. Upon completing my Masters in Environmental Management at Unimas in 2007, Tun advised me to expand my horizons, prompting my reentry into active politics in 2009. Tun wasn’t solely a source of inspiration during my time at the law firm; his late wife, the late Datuk Sri Feona Sim, also imparted invaluable lessons that greatly contributed to my development.
What do you enjoy doing on your days off?
I used to play squash when I was younger. Now, my schedule is quite tight; I still practice law at the legal firm in the mornings and dedicate my afternoons to my service centre. On weekends, however, I attend functions in my constituency. So, while others enjoy their weekends, that’s when I’m at my busiest.
Is it easier to be a lawyer or a people’s representative?
It is easier to be a lawyer because we are given ample time to prepare for a court case. However, being a people’s representative means anything can happen. For example, when it rains heavily and there is a flash flood, the rakyat expects the people’s representative to help them, which I understand, as they will face financial losses and other inconveniences. As the people’s representative, we must listen to their problems and try to solve them immediately.
When the time to retire comes, what do you plan to do?
From a politician’s point of view, this is a difficult question to answer. In politics, you’ll never know the span of your job scope, as it can be as short as one term and as long as 10 terms, and it depends entirely on the rakyat, who will ultimately be the final judge on whether a politician retires early or remain as their representative. However, based on the logic of things, if I am still able, I will go back to legal practice as I will have more time until I cannot do the work.
