She was a member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly representing the constituency of Pulau Tikus for one term from 2013 to 2018.
Yap graduated from Monash University, Australia, in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Science, and was awarded Honours.
She then commenced a doctoral candidature, studying the HIV virus, before returning to Penang to work for the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, on his science council.
[1] In the 2013 election, Yap contested the seat of Pulau Tikus for Lim's DAP.
[5] Yap did not contest to seek a second term for her Pulau Tikus state seat in the 2018 election as to pursue her Master's in Urban and Transport Planning studies in US.