Datuk Ruby Lee was the former secretary general for the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, serving the post for 32 years from 1965 to 1996. She joined the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in 1953, and was one of the longest-serving secretary generals for a humanitarian organisation in the world. Lee served through four Prime Ministers -

Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...

Tun Abdul Razak Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein ( ms, عبد الرزاق بن حسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia f ...

, Tun

Hussein Onn Tun Hussein bin Dato' Onn ( ms, حسين بن عون, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia from the death of his predece ...

and Tun Dr

Mahathir Mohamed Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...

Work

Ruby Lee helmed the national society through some of the country’s most critical situations including the May 13 riots and collapse of the Highland Towers. Through her leadership, she also helped provide shelter, relief and repatriation for over 20 years to 200,000

Vietnamese Boat people Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...

, who later found new homes and started new lives in other countries. In 2001, Ruby Lee was part of the humanitarian fact-finding mission to Baghdad led by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah, to witness the extent of the catastrophe which had affected Iraq as a result of the economic sanctions imposed on the country by the United Nations (UN) in 1990. Lee was known as a staunch supporter of programs for women, youths and the disabled. She believed in empowering more female leaders to strengthen the operational response of national societies as well as recruiting the youth who aspire to serve with humanitarian values, and said "If men cannot persuade governments to talk about the Geneva protocols, maybe the women can! Perhaps women could bring fresh ideas to a refugee problem or to a conflict situation."

Family

On 4 July 1947, Ruby Lee married Datuk Douglas K.K Lee, the eldest son of Malaysia's former Finance and Transport minister Tun HS Lee. She has two sons and a daughter (Michael, Kenny dan Janet), two daughters-in-law (Phyllis Chan and Noor Salasawati), son-in-law (Sonny Lim) and four grandchildren.

Death

Datuk Ruby Lee passed away on 14 Jun

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

at home in Seksyen 5,

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Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...

. She was 82 years old. The funeral was held at the St. Mary's Anglican Church, Jalan Raja next to

Dataran Merdeka Independence Square ( ms, Dataran Merdeka) is a square located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang or simply the ''Padang'' (meaning "field" ...

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

. Lee spent her last years confined to a wheel chair after a stroke and a prolonged battle with cancer.

Awards and recognitions

In March 2009, Lee was awarded the

Henry Dunant Medal The Henry Dunant Medal is the highest award of the Red Cross Movement. It is named after Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross Movement. The medal is presented every two years by the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This ...

for her dedication and sacrifice in the service of the

Malaysian Red Crescent Society The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) ( ms, Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia (BSMM)) is a voluntary humanitarian organization that seeks to promote humanitarian values, as well as provide service and public education in disaster management, as we ...

. The medal is considered to be the highest level of distinction from the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...

Honours of Malaysia

* : **

Officer of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

(KMN) (1981) ** Order_of_Loyalty_to_the_Crown_of_Malaysia_-_SSM

Companion of the

Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on ...

(JSM) (1992) ** MY_Darjah_Jasa_Negara_-_Order_of_Meritorious_Service_-_PJN

Commander of the

Order of Meritorious Service The Distinguished Order of Meritorious Service ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Jasa Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. It should not be confused with the Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: ...

(PJN) - Datuk (1998) * ** MY-SEL Order of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah - Knight Companion - DSSA

Knight Companion of the

Order of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

(DSSA) – Datin Paduka (1985)

References

{{Reflist Malaysian people of Chinese descent 1927 births 2009 deaths Officers of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Companions of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Commanders of the Order of Meritorious Service