SINGAPORE – The late Mrs Wee Kim Wee had a “genuine love for people, and contributed to the prestige and respectability of the presidency”, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his condolence letter to the family of the former First Lady on Monday (July 9).

The letter was also addressed to Ms Wee Eng Hwa, 75, who is Mrs Wee’s fourth daughter and one of her primary caregivers.

Mrs Wee, whose birth name is Koh Sok Hiong, died on Saturday night, just a day after turning 102. 

She was credited as the pillar who quietly supported the late Dr Wee, one of Singapore’s most beloved presidents who served from 1985 to 1993. Mr Lee noted in his letter that Mrs Wee “stood by him for nearly 70 years”, as she brought up the family and helped with his duties with “unfailing good grace”.

“Like her husband, she took her public role seriously and discharged it with warmth, grace and cheerfulness,” wrote Mr Lee.

“She was kind and gentle to all those she met, and showed deep care and concern for others, especially those less privileged in life.”

Mr Lee also recalled how he had first met the late Mrs Wee in 1976, when Dr Wee was serving as Singapore’s High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur (KL).

At that time, Mr Lee had brought his mother to KL to visit the parents of his late first wife, Mdm Wong Ming Yang.

Mrs Wee had hosted them to a “magnificent Peranakan lunch” at their home, “making a happy occasion all the more memorable”, said Mr Lee.

He added: “I am sure she oversaw the preparations herself. It was a skill she put to good use, to entertain graciously and put friends and guests at ease.”

In her later years, however, Mr Lee said he did not meet Mrs Wee often. He noted that she was bothered by her long-standing arthritis, and needed a wheelchair to get around.

Despite her condition, Mrs Wee made the effort to attend his parents’ wakes when they passed away – a gesture that Mr Lee “deeply appreciated”.

Madam Kwa Geok Choo died in 2010, and Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew passed away five years later.

Mrs Wee will be cremated on Wednesday morning at Mandai Crematorium.