Yee Jenn Jong
{{short description|Singaporean politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Yee|lang=Chinese}}{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Yee Jenn Jong
| native_name = 余振忠
| native_name_lang = zh
| honorific-suffix =
| image = (SGP-Singapore) Yee Jenn Jong at Worker's Party GE2025 Rally at Sengkang GRC 2025-04-24 - 2.jpg
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| smallimage =
| alt =
| caption = Yee in 2025
| order =
| office = Non-constituency Member of the 12th Parliament of Singapore
| alongside = Gerald Giam
| term_start = 16 May 2011
| term_end = 24 August 2015
| predecessor = Sylvia Lim (WP)
| successor = Daniel Goh (WP)
Dennis Tan (WP)
Leon Perera (WP)
| birth_name = Yee Jenn Jong
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1965|03|24}}
| birth_place = Singapore, Malaysia
| citizenship = Singaporean
| nationality = Singaporean
| party = Workers' Party
| alma_mater = National University of Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
}}
Yee Jenn Jong ({{zh|s=余振忠|p=Yú Zhènzhōng}}; born 24 March 1965) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he was previously a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament between 2011 and 2015 of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.
Education
Yee studied at St Stephen's School and then St Patrick's School for his secondary education. He went on to study at Temasek Junior College. Yee later obtained a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Hons) from National University of Singapore (NUS), a Master of Science in Computer Science from NUS and a Master of Business Administration from Nanyang Technological University.
Career
Yee is also a self-styled education entrepreneur and consultant, as well as the founder of The Learning Grid and 360 Education.{{cite web|last1=Yee|first1=Jenn Jong|title=About Me|url=https://yeejj.wordpress.com/about/|website=Yee Jenn Jong|date=8 March 2011|access-date=5 May 2017}} He is also the author of the book, Journey in Blue - A Peek into the Workers' Party of Singapore, published in 2020 by World Scientific.{{Cite web|url=https://mothership.sg/2020/12/yee-jenn-jong-book-interview/|title = In 2011, Workers' Party's Yee Jenn Jong defied his parents & wife to enter opposition politics. Now, he's stepping aside}}{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.gov.sg/pressrelease/ParE2011/2011-05-10%20-%20Election%20of%20NCMP%20for%20GE2011.pdf#zoom=100 |title=Press Statement: Election of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament in General Election 2011 |publisher=Elections.gov.sg |access-date=26 November 2012}} He is an author in World Scientific's World of Science Comic Series with the book Adventures with Energy.
Political career
Yee first stepped into politics in 2011 contesting in the Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency (SMC) against Charles Chong from the People's Action Party (PAP). Although he lost marginally with 48.99% of the votes, he finished as the second best loser in an election and was appointed to an NCMP position in the 12th Parliament of Singapore. It was confirmed by Workers' Party on 13 May 2011 that Yee would be taking up the NCMP position.{{cite web|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1128639/1/.html |title=Workers' Party names Yee Jenn Jong, Gerald Giam for NCMP seats |publisher=Channel NewsAsia |date=13 May 2011 |access-date=26 November 2012}} With Yee taking up the NCMP position together with Gerald Giam, WP set a new record in the Singapore's post-independence political arena becoming the first non-ruling party to have 8 (6 MP + 2 NCMP) seats in parliament.{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.gov.sg/elections_results2011.html |title=2011 Parliamentary Election Results |publisher=Elections.gov.sg |access-date=26 November 2012}}
Yee contested in a five-member WP team for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2015 general election. The team gained 35.93% of the votes losing to the PAP team.
in the 2020 general election, Yee contested in a five-member WP team for Marine Parade GRC again. The team won 42.26% of the votes losing to the PAP team, an improvement of six percent of the votes. Following this election, Yee has repeatedly stated that he has "largely retired from active politics".{{cite news|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/workers-party-new-faces-hit-the-ground-in-the-east-may-contest-over-30-seats-in-ge2025-observers |title=WP new faces hit the ground in the east; party may contest over 30 seats in GE2025: Observers|first1=Wei Kai|last1=Ng|first2=Yan Han|last2=Goh |publisher=The Straits Times|date=9 February 2025 |access-date=10 February 2025}}
On 22 April 2025, a day before nomination day for the 2025 general election, Yee, in a WP's video, said he will be "... stepping up – again", fueling speculation that he will contest the election despite his previous stance.{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Pei Ting |date=2025-04-22 |title=‘I am stepping up – again’: Three-time WP candidate Yee Jenn Jong looks set to contest GE2025 |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/i-am-stepping-up-again-three-time-wp-candidate-yee-jenn-jong-looks-set-to-contest-ge2025 |access-date=2025-04-23 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}} On 23 April, Yee led a team, comprising Nathaniel Koh, Paris V. Parameswari, Sufyan Mikhail Putra and Jasper Kuan to contest the East Coast Group Representation Constituency against the PAP team.{{Cite news |last=Goh |first=Yan Han |date=2025-04-23 |title=GE2025: Edwin Tong leads PAP’s East Coast team against WP veteran Yee Jenn Jong’s slate |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ge2025-edwin-tong-to-lead-paps-east-coast-team-against-wp-veteran-yee-jenn-jongs-slate |access-date=2025-04-23 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}{{Cite news |date=2025-05-01 |title=‘I have never left’: Yee Jenn Jong on his ‘one last’ return as WP’s East Coast candidate in GE2025 |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/i-have-never-left-yee-jenn-jong-on-his-one-last-return-as-wps-east-coast-candidate |access-date=2025-05-06 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}} Eventually, Yee and his team lost to the PAP team led by Minister Edwin Tong with 41.24% of the votes.{{Cite web |last=Oh |first=Tessa |date=2025-05-03 |title=Singapore election 2025: PAP secures East Coast GRC with 58.76% of the votes against WP |url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/ge2025-pap-secures-east-coast-grc-58-76-votes-against-wp |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=The Business Times |language=en}} In aftermath of his loss, Yee announced that he will not participate in further elections, but will remain with the Workers' Party.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=【GE2025】工人党余振忠宣布 不会再参加大选 |trans-title=GE2025: Worker's Party's Yee Jenn Jong announces he will not participate in future general elections |url=https://www.8world.com/singapore/ge2025-wp-yee-jenn-jong-will-not-take-part-in-any-further-ges-2783911 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=8world |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-par|sg}}
{{s-bef|before=Sylvia Lim}}
{{s-ttl|title=Non-Constituency Member of Parliament|years=2011–2015 |alongside = Lina Chiam, Gerald Giam}}
{{s-aft|after=Dennis Tan
Leon Perera
Daniel Goh}}
{{end}}
{{12th Parliament of Singapore}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yee, Jenn Jong}}
Category:Temasek Junior College alumni
Category:National University of Singapore alumni
Category:Nanyang Technological University alumni
Category:Singaporean people of Cantonese descent
Category:Workers' Party (Singapore) politicians