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A life of service with a loving touch
Malaysian Red Crescent Society personnel
pay their last respects to the late Ruby Lee
outside the St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral at
Jalan Raja yesterday.
by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: More than
300 people from all walks of life
filled St Mary’s Anglican Cathe-
dral yesterday to pay their last
respects to the first Malaysian
Red Crescent Society (MRCS)
secretary-general Datin Paduka
Ruby Lee, who died on Sunday.
Lee, 82, who was diagnosed
with breast and melanoma can-
cer in 2002, worked relentlessly
in the organisation for 43 years.
She devoted her life to social
service and was hailed for her
leadership qualities as well,
having been the first secretary-
general of the society for 31
years (1965-1996). She joined the
MRCS in 1953.
MRCS national headquarters
deputy director Misnan Kasan,
55, recalled how, under Lee’s
guidance, care and coaching, he
learnt to do voluntary service for
the betterment of society.
“I have served under the first
secretary-general till the cur-
rent seventh one but I have not
seen anyone like her, the way
she dealt with situations and
her loving touch in guiding the
members and caring for others,”
he said.
“She showed leadership
through example. This is a great
loss to us and to society. Her
memories will remain in our
hearts,” Misnan said.
In appreciation of her serv-
ice, Lee was awarded one of
the highest distinctions in the
‘Fight crime according
to rule of law’
PETALING JAYA: Gerakan has
called on the government to pay
heed to the recommendations
of the Malaysian Human Rights
Commission (Suhakam) in its
2008 annual report and ensure
that all laws and policies are
adhered to and correctly imple-
mented.
Gerakan deputy president and
central bureau head of human
rights and law Datuk Chang Ko
Youn said efforts to combat crime
must be in accordance with the
rule of law.
He said Suhakam, in its
latest annual report tabled in
the Dewan Rakyat on Monday,
proposed that the police strictly
adhere to the statutory rights of
an arrested person under the
Criminal Procedure Code (CPC)
and that police personnel must
attend training programmes to
have a better understanding
of how to combat crime but at
the same time respect human
rights.
“This is a pressing matter
as there have been many cases
of human rights violation and
abuse,” said Chang in a state-
briefs
EU grants for
democracy,
human rights
KUALA LUMPUR: The European
Union (EU) has unveiled its latest
grants for civil society in the area
of democracy and human rights
worth €300,000 (RM1.47 million).
The grant programme, imple-
mented in partnership with the
Malaysian Human Rights Com-
mission (Suhakam), is to help
strengthen the role of civil society
in promoting human rights and
democracy with key focus on the
development and training for hu-
man rights professionals, advocacy
and raising awareness in children’s
rights and the rights of indigenous
people.
“We hope these grants will
serve civil society organisations
in Malaysia. Our key focus is on
women, children and indigenous
people,” ambassador and head of
delegation of the European Com-
mission to Malaysia, Vincent Piket,
said in a statement yesterday.
theSun | THURSDAY JUNE 18 2009
International Red Cross and Red
Crescent movement – the Henry
Dunant Medal – last March.
Lee’s old friend and retired
minister, Tan Sri Chong Hon
Nyan, said of Lee: “Ruby was a
person who was very conscious
of helping the sick, poor and
the needy. Her husband Datuk
Douglas K.K. Lee, is the same.”
He said in the years that he
had known her since the 1970s,
Lee would not wait for anyone
to complete a task but would,
undertake it herself and never
blamed anyone for work un-
done.
Lee, a daughter-in-law of the
late Tun Sir Henry H. S. Lee, Ma-
laysia’s first finance minister, left
behind her husband, three chil-
dren and four grandchildren.
ment yesterday.
Citing deaths in police custody
as an example, Chang said more
should be done not only to take
action against those who commit
acts of abuse and torture, but to
make sure that such acts are also
prevented.
Chang said that in February
2005, the then prime minister,
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
revealed in Parliament that be-
tween 1990 and 2004, there were
159 deaths in custody.
He said even now, we still ap-
proach the issue in a clandestine
manner.
“In this sense, there has to be
strict conformity to the relevant
provisions in the Criminal Pro-
cedure Code so that the rule of
law is upheld at all times and
that room for abuse is lessened,”
he said.
In addition, Chang said police
officers must be educated on the
importance of human rights and
how crime and punishment and
rights can be reconciled.
Only through this way can
the police force be effective in
combating crime, he said.
He said the grants were avail-
able to interested applicants from
non-profit organisations, civil soci-
ety, higher education institutions
from Malaysia, EU member states
or a member state of the European
Economic Area. – Bernama
Police officers
to check
crime in schools
KUALA LUMPUR: Police offic-
ers will be assigned as liaison
officers for 14 secondary and 36
primary schools here to check
criminal activities in schools.
Dang Wangi police chief ACP
Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul
Rahman said the officers would
monitor the school compound
and ensure security of areas in
the vicinity.
“The liaison officers will not
only monitor criminal activities
but also participate in social
activities organised by schools,”
he said after presenting appoint-
ment letters to liaison officers
for Dang Wangi yesterday.
Zulkarnain said the liaison of-
ficers will visit schools at least
once a week and that schools
could contact them directly to
share information. – Bernama