Dian Lee, Reborn

Daughter, sister, businesswoman, wife, mother, yogini, an advocate of unity in a new Malaysiaall identities that are tied to DATIN DIAN LEES growth in the past decade. Lily Ong traces her evolution from a self-described insecure young adult into Malaysia Tatlers Most Stylish Woman of 2018.

Two years ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I saw a post by Datin Dian Lee detailing a spring cleaning project she was undertaking—inspired by Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: The Japanese Art. I reached out to her on private message to express my curiosity on her progress. We swapped stories about our mutual attempt to ‘KonMari’ our home—and lives.

In that short text exchange, I saw the down-to-earth spirit that lies beneath the glamorous veneer of being the eldest daughter of Country Heights’ founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew. When we sat down together to chat for this cover story, I related this memory to her. She ceremoniously started our interview by reflecting about the first hurdle in her adult life—carving a name for herself outside of her larger-than-life father’s influence.

“When I was in my 20s, I was upset when reporters described me as ‘daughter of Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew’. While I love my father and I am proud of everything he has accomplished, I wanted independence. I did not want my success to be tied up with his name. That’s why I started my own property development company. I was so set on thriving on my own,” she says.

In early 2007, Datin Dian graced the cover of Malaysia Tatler. At that point in time, she had just launched her company, Clearwater, and wrapped up a beautiful wedding celebration with financier Datuk Jared Lim. In the same year, she became a first-time mother when her son, Jedi Isaiah, was born.

“I was pregnant a lot in my 20s, come to think about it,” she adds with a laugh, referring to how she was soon blessed with her next two children, Jora Dream and Jaan Justice, a few years after.