KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 -- Skinny and timid.

That was Datuk Dr Lee Bee Phang when she was younger.

Fast forward many years later and she is the first woman of Chinese descent to hold the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) in the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Although she was passionate about joining the force from the very beginning, Lee admitted that her mother was a bit reluctant when she first told her that she wanted to become a policewoman.

"The Chinese community doesn't encourage their children, especially their daughters to join the police or the army for safety reasons.

"Plus, at that time, I was skinny and timid, so my mother was not on board with my decision.

"Being the youngest child of six siblings also didn't help my ca...