Speaking Without Words: Tan Lee Bee Excited To Bring Sign Language To ASEAN Grand Stage

By Ahmad Erwan Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Every movement of her hands, every flicker of expression, forms a language spoken without sound.

For Tan Lee Bee, Malaysia’s renowned sign language interpreter, those gestures will soon echo across one of the region’s most prestigious stages - the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) over the weekend.

At 64, Tan, a familiar face on Malaysian television, known for her expressive delivery, is set to make history as she has been chosen as the official sign language interpreter at the region’s highest diplomatic gathering, an honour she describes as one of the proudest moments in her 45-year career.

“I’ll be interpreting during both the opening ceremony on Oct 26 and the closing ceremony on Oct 28. I’m truly excited.

“In all my 45 years as a sign language interpreter, this will be my first time working at an event attended by world leaders. It’s an extraordinary experience,” she said in an interview with Bernama today.

According to Tan, Malaysia stands out not just as the Chair of ASEAN this year, but also as the first ASEAN nation to bring sign language to the summit stage, which she described as a groundbreaking move in regional diplomacy.

The initiative was introduced during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) last July, earning widespread praise from international delegates who saw it as a reflection of Malaysia’s commitment to ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, the theme of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.

To prepare, Tan said she immersed herself in the summit materials, studying speeches of ASEAN leaders, reviewing official scripts, and consulting multiple references to ensure precision and consistency.

“Sign language isn’t like the Oxford Dictionary. I need to understand the context, and even study how ASEAN leaders speak on YouTube,” she explained with a smile.

Tan said she also embraced modern tools in her work.

“I use artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT, to help analyse context and find the best interpretations for certain terms,” she admitted.

Tan’s journey in sign language and interpretation began out of love for her hearing-impaired younger brother, and that love grew into a lifelong mission, prompting her to spend 17 years as a special education teacher.

Malaysians first came to know her in the 1980s through Selamat Pagi Malaysia, and later as the expressive interpreter during RTM’s nightly news.

Her milestones are many. She became Malaysia’s first sign language interpreter in the Federal Court in 1994 and has since stood beside ministers, judges, and broadcasters - translating not just words, but emotions and meaning.

Now, as the world’s leaders gather in Kuala Lumpur, Tan will once again speak - silently, yet powerfully - in a language that needs no sound to be heard.

-- BERNAMA