Datuk Datin Paduka Ruby Lee 1927-2009

Ruby Lee and Tg Tan Sri Mohamad Tg Besar Burhanuddin with Tunku Abdul Rahman

Ruby Lee, Mrs Rasamah Buphalan and unidentified lady with Tun Abdul Razak

Ruby Lee with Tun Hussein Onn


Ruby Lee with Mum and Dad

DATUK DATIN PADUKA RUBY LEE PASSES AWAY

MALAYSIA, Sunday 14 June .

Former Secretary-General of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, Datuk Datin Paduka Ruby Lee passed away peacefully at her home in Section 5, Petaling Jaya, aged 82,her family announced this evening.

In a life devoted to public service, consumerism and charitable causes, Datuk Lee served many organizations but is internationally known for helming the Malaysian Red Crescent Society as its Secretary-General for 32 years (1965-1996).

She served through four Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein Onn and Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, and through some of the most critical situations facing the country including the May 13 Emergency and Highland Towers collapse.

She also helped provide shelter, relief and repatriation for over 20 years to more than 200,000 Vietnamese Boat people, who later found new homes and started new lives in other countries.
Lee joined the International Red Cross movement in 1953 and was one the world’s longest-serving Secretary-Generals of a humanitarian organization.

She was awarded the Panglima Jasa Negara by the Yang DiPertuan Agung in 1998 for her services to the country. Datuk Lee was also honoured with the Henry Dunant medal in March 2009 for a life dedicated to the cause of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement of which Henry Dunant was the founder. This medal is the highest distinction awarded by the International Red Cross / Red Crescent movement based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Michael Lee, Datuk Lee’s eldest son said that while the family is grieving at their loss, they are also thankful for the gift of his mother’s life. He expressed his gratitude to the many Malaysians and people of all nationalities who have been part of her mission. ‘She was born to help others, and this she did with an indefatigable spirit, and sense of purpose. She worked tirelessly towards alleviating sorrow and pain, whatever the tragedy or critical situation she encountered, he said.

Ruby Lee spent her last years confined to a wheel chair after a stroke and a prolonged battle with cancer. Even as she became increasingly frail, she continued serving as the President of the Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped.

Malaysia will miss the reassuring presence and voice of Ruby Lee .

The funeral service will be held at the St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral, Jalan Raja (Dataran Merdeka), Kuala Lumpur on 17 June,2009 at 11am. The wake will be from 10am to 10pm on both 15 & 16 June at Nirvana Memorial Center, Jalan 1/116A off Sungai Besi. A wake service will also be held here on Tuesday,16 June at 8pm.

Datuk Datin Paduka Lee is survived by her husband Dato’ Douglas K.K Lee, her children Michael, Kenny and Janet; daughters and son in law Phyllis Chan, Noor Salasawati and Sonny Lim, and four grandchildren.

At the request of the family, no wreaths please. A donation in her name to the following organizations would be much appreciated :

• Malaysian Red Crescent Society
• Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped
• Hospis Malaysia
• MAKNA

For further enquiries please contact Michael Lee at 012 3812833 or Sonny Lim at 012 2786219

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Datin Paduka Ruby Lee was one of those women who was always around. If you work in NGOs, especially women's NGOs, you knew her. I can't remember the first time I met her simply because she was always there. One of those stalwarts of women's and humanitarian organisations in Malaysia.

Way back in the mid-Nineties, I received a report on the vulnerability of women all over the world to HIV that so alarmed me that I sent it to many of our prominent women leaders. Only Ruby Lee responded, and responded with action. She organised a seminar on Women and AIDS and got her international Red Cross resource persons to come and help raise awareness on how women were at risk of becoming infected by HIV. This was a time when the numbers of women living with HIV in our country was still minuscule. Ruby Lee saw the future and didn't like it and took action. Not many people do that. And not many gave support as she did to a fledgling activist like I was.

It will definitely be strange not to see her at the many events and functions around town. But she has contributed more than her fair share of work and deserves to rest in peace. My sincerest condolences to her husband, children and grandchildren.