Leong Yu Man

Summary

Leong Yu Man (born 22 June 1985) is a DAP politician serving as Triang MLA and Pahang EXCO member for Unity, Tourism and Culture since December 2022 — the first female Chinese DAP member to hold an EXCO post in Pahang. A former nutritionist who left employment in Singapore to enter politics in 2013, she has held the Triang seat for three consecutive terms and is the daughter of veteran DAP leader Leong Ngah Ngah. In her EXCO role she chairs state-level tourism promotion efforts, including international roadshows and the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

Biography

Leong Yu Man (Chinese: 梁耀雯; born 22 June 1985) is a Malaysian politician and former nutritionist who serves as Member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Triang and as a Member of the Pahang State Executive Council (EXCO). She is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of Pakatan Harapan (PH), and holds the positions of State Organising Secretary of Pahang DAP and Division Women Chief of Bera [1]. Before entering politics, she worked as a nutritionist in Singapore, resigning from the role to contest the 2013 Pahang state election [2]. She is the daughter of Leong Ngah Ngah, a veteran DAP politician and former five-term Triang MLA, from whom she inherited the seat in 2013 [3]. Leong has held the Triang seat across three consecutive terms — 2013, 2018, and 2022 — defeating BN candidates in each contest [1]. Following the 2022 Pahang state election, which produced the state's first-ever hung assembly, BN and PH formed a coalition state government. Leong was appointed EXCO member on 2 December 2022 and assumed the portfolios of Unity, Tourism and Culture on 14 December 2022 [1]. She is noted as the first ever female Chinese and DAP member of the Pahang EXCO [1]. In this role, she has focused on promoting Pahang as a tourism destination, including through international roadshows and the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign [4].

Known for

Leong Yu Man is identified as the first female Chinese and DAP member to serve on the Pahang State Executive Council [1]. She has held the Triang state seat for three consecutive terms since 2013, continuing a political legacy established by her father in the same constituency [1]. As Pahang EXCO chairman for Unity, Tourism and Culture, she has been the state government's principal spokesperson on tourism development and inter-community relations [5].

Political positions

Leong Yu Man holds the Unity, Tourism and Culture portfolio in the Pahang state government, consistently advocating for the expansion of Pahang's tourism industry, including gastronomic tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, and international tourism promotion [6]. In 2019, while in opposition, she was among seven Pahang DAP assemblypeople who jointly called for the non-renewal of Lynas Corporation's operating licence, citing environmental concerns and the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto's commitments on environmental protection [7]. She has also been involved in DAP intra-party affairs, retaining her position as Pahang DAP State Organising Secretary across multiple party election cycles [8]. Her participation in the BN-PH unity state government in Pahang since December 2022 places her within the broader Madani-era cross-coalition governance framework at the state level [9].

Before politics

1. Before 2013Worked as a nutritionist in Singapore before entering politics. Her father, Leong Ngah Ngah, noted she resigned from the role, which paid more than an assemblyman's salary, to contest the 2013 election.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013Won the Triang state seat in her electoral debut under Pakatan Rakyat, defeating BN's Tan Tin Loon by a majority of 5,009 votes. She took over the seat previously held by her father Leong Ngah Ngah since 1990.⛓
2. May 2018Successfully defended the Triang seat under Pakatan Harapan, defeating BN's Tan Tin Loon in a rematch by an increased majority of 6,454 votes.⛓
3. March 2021Retained her position as Pahang DAP State Organising Secretary at the Pahang DAP Ordinary State Convention in Bentong.⛓
4. November 2022Re-elected to the Pahang State Legislative Assembly for a third term, defeating Yee Cheng Hwa of BN and Izzuddin Zulkifli of PN by a majority of 6,219 votes.⛓
5. December 2022Appointed as Pahang EXCO member by Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail following the formation of a BN-PH coalition state government after the hung 2022 Pahang state election.⛓
6. 14 December 2022Assumed the portfolios of Unity, Tourism and Culture in the Pahang state government, becoming the first female Chinese and DAP member of the Pahang EXCO.⛓

Election history

• 2022TriangWon⛓
• 2018TriangWon⛓
• 2013TriangWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentPahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail stated that DAP's entry into the state administration had been a positive development, saying it had sometimes been easier to work with DAP's executive councillors than with MCA, and citing DAP's support for state government initiatives such as extending financial aid to civil servants.⛓
• OppositionFormer MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker characterised the Menteri Besar's praise for DAP as 'empty', and stated that MCA leaders had long been more proficient in Bahasa Malaysia than the two PH EXCO members including Leong Yu Man. Ti also accused DAP of failing to fulfil promises such as freehold land titles for new village residents.⛓
• VerifiedFactsLeong Yu Man has held the Triang state seat for three consecutive terms (2013, 2018, 2022), winning each election under DAP/Pakatan. She is confirmed by multiple sources as the first female Chinese and DAP member to serve on the Pahang EXCO.⛓