Bandar Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin, her colleague in the Selangor assembly, said Lee was a caring “big sister”.

“I often called her my ‘dai ka jie’ (Cantonese for elder sister). She was sincere in her help, giving her best to all. I will always cherish our memories together and advice shared with me,” she said on Facebook.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said Lee, a party activist since 1993, had carried out her duties well during her three terms as Kuala Kubu Baharu assemblyman since 2013.

“Her departure is a big loss for us all,” he said in a Facebook post.

Party chairman Lim Guan Eng described Lee as dedicated and hardworking, and a brave women’s wing leader, sticking with DAP through the hardest times.

“The vote of confidence in her leadership was translated through the high majorities she garnered since the 2013 polls. We will miss her,” he said in a Facebook post.

Lee, 58, won the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat in 2013 and retained it in subsequent elections. She had revealed her cancer diagnosis in 2020, but the disease had been in remission after treatment.

However, her health deteriorated in recent times, leading to her taking medical leave from her legislative duties.