Sign Language Interpreter Tan Lee Bee Receives Royal Award

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 For her service over the past four decades, the 64-year-old received the Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara from the king yesterday.
Veteran media personality and sign-language interpreter Tan Lee Bee with her Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara award. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: For her dedication as a sign-language interpreter spanning more than four decades, Tan Lee Bee received the Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim yesterday
Tan, who often graces the corner of the television screen during news broadcasts, described the award as a “great recognition” in her “silent struggle to convey the voices of the voiceless”.
“I feel happy, moved, I feel like crying, too… I feel very grateful,” the veteran media personality told Bernama after the investiture ceremony in conjunction with the king’s official birthday celebration at Istana Negara.
“This recognition is not just for me, it’s a symbolic tribute to every interpreter who works silently for a fairer inclusivity in Malaysia,” the 64-year-old added.
Tan was among 16 individuals who received the AMN at the ceremony, during which Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar and armed forces chief Gen Nizam Jaffar were bestowed with the Darjah Panglima Mangku Negara, which carries the title Tan Sri.
Tan’s journey as an interpreter began out of love for the person closest to her heart: her younger sister, who is deaf.
“I learnt sign language because of her … people always ask me how I learnt sign language, and they’re always surprised to know I never took formal training before I began my career,” she told FMT in 2021.
She then served as a teacher for the deaf for 17 years, which she initially found challenging. “I found it very hard to teach the deaf and I would sometimes cry. At times I just could not make my students understand.”
Tan is best known for gracing the corner of TV screens during news broadcasts with her dynamic signing and compelling facial expressions. (Tan Lee Bee pic)During those years, she also served as an interpreter with the federal court. Tan went on to become Malaysia’s first court sign-language interpreter in 1994.
Still, one might be surprised to learn that her contribution to the world of broadcasting began much earlier, when she appeared on television circa 1985 on the show “Selamat Pagi Malaysia”.
Her facial expressions and signing actions became important visuals in news broadcasts as well as in official communication videos, advertisements, and various broadcasting mediums.
Apart from RTM, Tan provides her services to companies with employees who have disabilities. She told FMT five years ago that she derived great satisfaction from serving the deaf community.
“Whatever we interpret, it has to be understood,” she said. “I have to make sure my interpretation is clear and that I do not make any mistakes.
“As an interpreter, when the deaf understand you well enough and are happy about it, they will come to tell you. As long as my hand is able and my mind is still okay, I will go on interpreting … it is my passion.” - FMT

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