And the Award Goes To…

The past year saw the world and our nation go through great adversity. Tatler Malaysia recognises three deserving recipients who made an impact with their Covid-19 relief efforts

- Elizabeth Soong

Every year at the Tatler Ball, it is a tradition to honour those that deserve recognition for the exemplary work that they’ve done in that year. However, due to the pandemic, we altered traditions somewhat and switched to not one but three intimate soirees, as we presented just three awards instead of the usual five.

The first was a celebratory dinner held for the Diamond Award recipient—Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, who was honoured for his lifetime achievement and humanitarian relief efforts with Covid-19. Held at a private room in Yun House, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the affable Lee dressed to match his wife, Puan Sri Tan Bee Hong, in a dark satin-sheened outfit.

Surrounded by his loving family, including his three daughters and two sons, Lee was surprised with a video tribute that featured his youngest, Bintang, and Ricky Yip, CEO of Golden Horses Health Sanctuary. And then his eldest daughter, Datin Dian Lee, stood up and presented the award to her dad, making the moment even more meaningful. In her speech, she said, “My dad’s the kind of man who would put others above himself and is very much about doing the right thing. So when Covid happened, we are so proud when he sprung into action. Actually we all didn’t know—we found out through social media that he was using planes to bring in PPEs and masks, and here his own children were scrambling to find masks through Lazada!”