The emotional sign-off, posted on TV2’s social media accounts, has since garnered an astonishing number of views. Many flooded the comments section with words of gratitude and well-wishes.
Even communications minister Fahmi Fadzil acknowledged Lee’s remarkable contributions to the media industry on his Facebook account.
The reactions to her retirement surprised even Lee, who was a presenter on World Today and Malaysia Tonight.
“I wasn’t even aware that people were posting, commenting and thanking me. I’m just so appreciative and blown away by their reactions because we are mainstream media and throughout the years, I think a lot of people stopped watching mainstream television,” Lee, 57, told FMT Lifestyle.
Reflecting on her illustrious career, she shared several highs and lows. “There was one time where I didn’t know what happened to me as I couldn’t say the word ‘washing’. I had to say it three times,” she said, laughing.
However, Lee’s career wasn’t just filled with light-hearted moments. Presenting the news updates of the aviation tragedies of MH370 and MH17 deeply affected her as she was once part of the cabin crew with Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
“Some of the crew members who were in the two flights were people I worked with. It was hard to talk about those who went missing or perished,” she recalled.
Still, she emphasised the importance of maintaining one’s composure while on air. “We need to be impartial and should not appear to take sides. It is our job to deliver the news, instead of judging or showing our displeasure,” she said.
“For some news, we need to show happiness such as Michelle Yeoh winning the Oscar, which was a proud moment for Malaysians. Tragic events like MH370, MH17 or the 2004 tsunami needed to be presented with much empathy and sympathy.”
Although many may perceive her as a serious person based on her news persona, the bubbly Lee revealed with a smile: “This is me. I’m a people person.”
Looking to the future, she reflected on how mainstream television must adapt to stay relevant in the ever-evolving media landscape.
“The tempo for news delivery has to be fast now. The stories must be more concise without losing their actual essence or being changed completely. It has to be short and concise because I feel that people’s attention span is very short now,” she said.
Commenting on AI-generated presenters, she added: “As humans, we have emotions, which can be seen on our faces and in our eyes. At this point in time, AI-generated presenters are quite two-dimensional and don’t seem to exude emotions.”
Growing up, Lee said she never saw herself as a newscaster. However, when she spotted an advertisement for newscasters in MAS’s internal newsletter, she auditioned for it. She was delighted to be selected and was later trained by iconic newsreader, George Abraham.
In the early days, she recalled, she turned to the dictionary to learn how to pronounce certain words. When she needed further help, she added, her editors and senior colleagues, like Yahya Longchik, Geoffrey Nicholson and Noor Nikman Dadameah, swooped in to help.
Even after becoming a presenter, Lee continued working as a cabin crew with MAS and later British Airways, reading the news on her off days. “When you enjoy something, you don’t feel very tired doing it.”
Even today, she is not fully retired as she still holds two jobs as an office manager and executive assistant.
Expressing her gratitude to RTM, she shared: “Being a news presenter has tremendously helped me to improve myself and shape me in many aspects. RTM also gave me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people over the years,” said Lee, who has a 23-year-old daughter.
“I was a happy-go-lucky girl who knew nothing about news, and I was given a chance. So, I think I’m very lucky. And it’s amazing to be able to do this for 35 and a half years,” she concluded.