When asked to describe herself, Miss Yee  points to her professional titles: HR and Admin Director. But it is not long before the softer parts of Miss Yee shift into focus – the artist. As someone who has participated in exhibitions at the National Art Gallery and profiled in popular publications such as Expat Magazine, Miss Yee paints with her heart on the canvas. This may be surprising for some of us at YTL Construction who have not yet experienced the true passion and unbridled enthusiasm that Miss Yee has when she speaks about art. The truth is, there is no separation between life and art for her.

Though Miss Yee prefers not to be in the spotlight, we celebrate our HR and Admin Director with this interview. 

Q : I can’t imagine having to pick one greatest challenge after working for 48 years. Let’s go with memorable. What has stood out as a challenge for you? And how did it help you grow as an individual?  

Miss Yee : One of the most memorable and challenging periods of working at YTL was when I was involved with bringing the local and overseas delegates for the Asian Global Leadership Forum to Pangkor Laut Resort in 2002. Due to the limitations of the airstrip at the Pangkor Island Airport, we were only able to arrange chartered planes to Pangkor Island and then ferry them to Pangkor Laut. There were technical problems of the airplane causing flights delay, which then wreaked havoc to the whole programme. The VIP delegates were also complaining and worried about their safety. I learnt that even with the best preparation, things can still happen. We can try our best and we should have multiple plans but some things are out of our control. In all my years of working, I have found that praying has helped me stay cool and calm. If I panicked, everyone on the team would panic too. Being able to make calm decisions is a very important aspect of being a leader The greatest challenge is to handle things beyond your control.

Right: Miss Yee enjoying plein air painting (which means to paint outdoors)
at a Fishing Village in Semenyih

Sunrise

What advice would you give to people who want to work towards a long and successful career like yours at YTL Construction?   

Miss Yee : You start by deciding what you want in your life. Then you can walk the journey required to achieve what you want. When I was learning from late Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, he taught all of us by talking to us and also walking the talk. So I learnt to listen. To watch. To ask. It takes patience to prepare yourself for opportunities. And when opportunities come, you must be bold to grab them and prove that you can deliver results through hard work and effort. Don’t be afraid to fail. What is most important is to learn from the failure. Don’t let yourself fall into despair when you make mistakes. I paint sunrises because I believe that even on the darkest nights, the sun will still rise the next day. A new day for us to strive to be better, to touch the lives of others and live our lives to the fullest. 

What will you miss most?   

Miss Yee : I will miss the people. I will miss the team who have always followed my direction. I will miss the bosses. I am very grateful for the trust and relationship I had with the late Tan Sri, with Tan Sri Francis and all the senior directors. I am also very proud and touched to see Yuan, Yeen and Tsen step into the leaders that they are. I started as an admin and secretary so HR was not in my portfolio. I was hesitant to say yes to HR because I felt that I finally reached a stable place. But I was reminded by Yuan and Jerry that we are also in the business of building people. All my bosses have taken care of me since I started at YTL. I realised then that it was my turn. I will miss growing and nurturing people but now it’s time for me to grow more roses on the canvas. 

What do you plan to do after retirement?  

Miss Yee : I have always believed in persevering and doing my best. I put a lot of effort into building and shaping my career. With art, it has always been my safe place and my source of comfort after busy days at work. While my hands and legs are still strong, I want to see the beauty in the world and capture these feelings of wonderment in my art. If I put in the same effort and time into my art, I know I will feel the same fulfilment at the end of the day as I feel with my career and work at YTL. It’s time for me to give my heart fully to art. 

Roses

Miss Yee started 48 years ago as a secretary and document administrator to the late Chairman, Tan Sri’ Yeoh Tiong Lay so it is an understatement to say that her journey at YTL has been a marathon.

She speaks of the memorable experiences organising some of the company’s most celebrated and prolific events. From A Journey Through Time to the YTL Concert of Celebration, Miss Yee has been the woman behind the scenes ensuring that the programme is implemented well.

If you ask anyone who has worked with her through the years, you will hear of a woman who is bold and strict with expectations. These things are true, but perhaps the truest reflection of her approach towards life is in Miss Yee’s choice to paint flowers and sunrises.