SHAH ALAM: Selangor DAP is setting up a committee to handle the funeral of Kuala Kubu Baharu state assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong, who died today.
Selangor DAP secretary Ng Sze Han said he would be heading the committee and Selangor Wanita DAP acting chief Yeo Bee Yin would be coordinating its work to ease the burden of Lee’s family.
“Selangor is saddened by the passing of Kuala Kubu Baharu state assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong this morning. She was a principled and dedicated state assemblyman and leader.
“She held the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat for more than 10 years. Her passing is a major loss to Selangor DAP and the Selangor state government,” he said in a statement here today.
Ng said details of the funeral arrangement would be announced later.
Selangor State Assembly Speaker Lau Weng San said he was still waiting for official notification from the hospital authorities on Lee’s death.
He told Bernama that any official announcement on the vacancy in the constituency would be made after he had received notification from the hospital.
Meanwhile, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong conveyed his condolences to the family of Lee.
Wee said he had known Lee since 1988 and they both had attended the National University Student Leadership Camp in Penang.
“Kee Hiong joined DAP and I joined MCA but that was not a barrier to our friendship. As a friend, I feel the loss of her passing.
“Her contributions to society especially in Selangor will be remembered! Her service as a state assemblyman for several terms will be etched in the memory of the local community,” he said in a Facebook post.
Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency coordinator Dr N Sathia Prakash said Lee was a familiar name to the Hulu Selangor community.
He said her determination and excellence in helping PKR in the last general election was most appreciated.
“Thank you, YB. Your good deeds will be remembered, now and forever, the Iron Lady of Hulu Selangor,“ he said in a Facebook post.
Media reports said Lee, 58, the Kuala Kubu Baharu assemblyman since 2013, died this morning after battling cancer for several years.
Meanwhile, DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng, in his Facebook post, said DAP had lost a capable, courageous and loyal woman leader who stayed with the party through its most difficult moments.
Lim said Lee’s excellent leadership was evident in the trust given to her by voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu for three consecutive terms since 2013.
“Her family has now lost a wife, daughter and younger sister who was caring and compassionate. My condolences to Lee’s family,” he said.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke also described Lee’s passing as a big loss for all.
He said since starting as a DAP activist in 1993, Lee had carried out her duties with full trust and responsibility in fighting for the people of Malaysia.
“Since her election as the Kuala Kubu Baharu state assemblyman in 2013, Lee had given her best service to the local people,” he said in extending his condolences to Lee’s family.
Meanwhile, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching shared pictures on Facebook of her, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Selangor Wanita DAP acting chief Yeo Bee Yin visiting Lee in hospital.
“Now, you’ve gone to a place free from pain and illness. It’s hard to let go, but it’s time to bid farewell,“ said Teo, who is also Wanita DAP chief.
Hannah described Lee as a close friend and said she had visited Lee in hospital.
“I hope her family would be strong in facing her passing,“ she told a press conference after launching the Uni Enrol Scholar Search annual roadshow today. -Bernama
