MCA president Wee Ka Siong, on behalf of the party, expressed condolences to Chong’s family members.

“Her passing is indeed a great loss to the nation and the party,” he said in a Facebook post.

Wee described Chong as a highly educated social activist who achieved significant milestones in her political career.

“She became the Selayang MP in 1975 and was appointed the parliamentary secretary for the health ministry when she was re-elected in 1978,” he said.

He said Chong became the first leader from Wanita MCA to be appointed a deputy minister in 1982 and served in the then ministry of culture, youth and sports.

She was also known for her campaigns to promote monogamy among non-Muslims, and her role in the enactment of laws to make the registration of civil marriages compulsory.

Wee said Chong was actively involved in vernacular education and the setting up of kindergartens in different parts of the country to encourage pre-school education.

Chong played a pivotal role in the establishment of Wanita MCA in 1975. Under her leadership, the wing expanded to encompass more than 40,000 members across over 60 divisions and 200 branches nationwide.