Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and only sister of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang, died at home on Oct 9. - Photos: Courtesy of Lee Family, ST file
SINGAPORE: The determination Dr Lee Wei Ling had from youth took her through life, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a tribute to Dr Lee, who died at the age of 69.
Dr Lee, the daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and only sister of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang, died at home on Oct 9. She had been diagnosed in 2020 with a rare brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy.
In condolence messages posted on Facebook, “stoic” was used several times to describe the late Dr Lee by those who knew her personally, ranging from Singapore leaders to her patients.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam
President Tharman said his earliest memory of Dr Lee was as an outstanding medium-distance runner in her secondary school days.
“I watched her as she ran in the National Schools Track and Field Championships at Farrer Park. She had determination written on her face,” said Tharman.
He got to know her personally years later when he was a minister and found her to be passionate about her work in medicine.
“She also had strong views on education that were always worth listening to. That same determination she had from her youth took her through life,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat
DPM Heng, who had known Dr Lee since 1997, said she had strong convictions, and expressed them well.
He also learnt much from her, especially about how children acquire languages, and that this was particularly valuable when he worked on Singapore’s bilingual policies as education minister.
“As a neurologist and the director of the National Neuroscience Institute, she was an outstanding doctor who was devoted to caring for her patients and their families. When I had my stroke eight years ago, I was unconscious for several days.
“When I regained consciousness, Wei Ling visited me at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She spent almost an hour with my wife and me, advising us on how to recover well and to stay physically and mentally active to rebuild my neural network. We deeply appreciated her care and concern for me,” DPM Heng said.
Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean
Dr Lee was a passionate and dedicated person, said SM Teo, who was in the same batch of President’s Scholars as Dr Lee in 1973.
“She put her all into what she did, in particular, as a doctor. Over the five decades we’ve known each other, we had a number of deep discussions on the issues which meant much to her, like early childhood education.
“She remained stoic in her final years, though she was afflicted with a degenerative and debilitating illness and saw just a few close family members and associates,” Teo said.
Patients
A neurologist who headed the National Neuroscience Institute as director from 2004 to 2014, Dr Lee also touched the lives of many patients through her medical practice.
Commenting on SM Lee’s Facebook post, Elsie Tjoeng said Dr Lee went to great lengths for both her daughters, who were diagnosed with epilepsy at 12 and 13, respectively.
“You also unhesitatingly helped to fight for (one of my daughters) and wrote in when she declared her condition in her job application and was not shortlisted. For that, we appreciated it,” Tjoeng said, adding that Dr Lee took a step back from work after her illness worsened.
Philip Chan Wei Lian recounted Dr Lee’s dedication as consulting doctor for his brother for almost 30 years. Chan’s brother has consistent seizures, having had epilepsy since 12.
“We are very very thankful to Dr Lee for her utmost care for my brother over the years. She even helped us to secure financial assistance when we were in a difficult financial situation since my dad retired and my brother’s medication became more and more expensive,” he said in a comment on SM Lee’s post.
Former classmate Stephen Phua
Dr Phua, who like Dr Lee, received his medical degree from the University of Singapore, now known as National University of Singapore, said Dr Lee was known for her stoicism and thoughtful demeanour.
“While she may not have been the most outwardly expressive, those who took the time to know her found a person of great depth, intelligence, and unwavering principles,” he said. “Her reserved nature masked a deeply analytical mind and a commitment to excellence that set an example for all of us.”
Dr Lee expressed her care through actions instead of words, and also carried with grace the weight of her father’s legacy, he added.
“She was proud of her heritage but never let it define her. Instead, she built her own path, marked by integrity and a quiet dedication to making a difference in her own way,” said Phua. - The Straits Times/ANN
