Through her leadership, she also helped provide shelter, relief and repatriation for over 20 years to 200,000 Vietnamese boat people, who later found new homes and started new lives in other countries.
[1] In 2001, Ruby Lee was part of the humanitarian fact-finding mission to Baghdad led by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah, to witness the extent of the catastrophe which had affected Iraq as a result of the economic sanctions imposed on the country by the United Nations (UN) in 1990.
[3] She believed in empowering more female leaders to strengthen the operational response of national societies as well as recruiting the youth who aspire to serve with humanitarian values, and said, "If men cannot persuade governments to talk about the Geneva protocols, maybe the women can!
[6] She has two sons and a daughter (Michael, Kenny dan Janet), two daughters-in-law (Phyllis Chan and Noor Salasawati), a son-in-law (Sonny Lim) and four grandchildren.
[1] In March 2009, Lee was awarded the Henry Dunant Medal for her dedication and sacrifice in the service of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.