Kee died at 2.40pm at a private hospital in George Town.
The former Gerakan Wanita leader had been hospitalised with Covid-19 since June 20 but her condition worsened recently, forcing her to be put on life support.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) vice-president Khoo Salma Nasution, who worked closely with Kee in the late 1980s, said Kee was instrumental in getting tourists, who usually made a beeline for Penang’s beaches, to also appreciate the heritage and cultural life of George Town.
She said Kee brought tourists who were staying in beach areas for city tours in the 1990s. She diversified attractions in the older part of town, thus renewing life and adding vigour to George Town. Kee’s husband, Dr Choong Sim Poey, who was PHT president then, also played an important role in this.
“She was helped immensely in turning George Town around,” Khoo told FMT.
Khoo recalled the time she met Kee at her Komtar office, which overlooks the city, as PHT honorary secretary in 1989. She said Kee asked her what part of George Town ought to be conserved for heritage purposes.
“I pointed out of her window and said all of this, which was essentially from Prangin Road up to Transfer Road. And she said ‘are you mad?’ with a chuckle. And you know what, she lobbied the chief minister and after years of hard work, George Town received Unesco listing,” she said.
Khoo said Kee, along with then chief minister Koh Tsu Koon worked with other heritage activists to get George Town nominated jointly with Melaka as a World Heritage Site.
“She was an iron lady, one who called a spade a spade. She was always smiling, had a buoyant personality and was a positive force in Penang,” she said.
Kee, who was in politics for 23 years, was Batu Uban assemblyman for 18 years – for four terms. In 2009, after she had retired, she was appointed the head of the Penang Tourism Action Council.
She was also behind mega tourism events such as the 1994 longest beach buffet of 1.4km near Batu Ferringhi and the Penang Merdeka International Food Carnival in 2000 with over 200 food stalls along a 1.7 km stretch of Gurney Drive.
Kee leaves behind Choong and two children – Chiren and Chiying.