Wong-Lee was born in Singapore in 1938 and attended the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus school. She was very active in her school's drama club, often playing lead roles in the school plays. Furthermore, Wong-Lee won the Singapore Rotary Public Speaking contest in 1955. Noted for her clear and articulate voice, she entered broadcast in the 1950s as a part-time announcer for Radio Malaya while studying for an English degree at the University of Singapore, where she graduated with honors in English.
