KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the pioneering Malaysian physician and wife of the country’s longest-serving former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, died on Monday, September 28, at the age of 100.
She passed away at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama. Her death was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir.
Born on July 12, 1926, in Klang, Selangor, Siti Hasmah was among the pioneering Malay women in the medical profession. She became the first Malay woman to be offered a place to study medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore, beginning a career that would span medicine, public health and community service.
Her professional career was closely associated with maternal and child healthcare. In 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a medical officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department, while in 1974 she became the first woman appointed as a State Maternal and Child Health Officer. Her public-health work included efforts related to immunisation, family welfare and the development of healthcare services.
As president of the Welfare Club of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, known as BAKTI, she promoted awareness among young people about the dangers of drug abuse. She represented Malaysia at international conferences on drug abuse and illicit trafficking and attended the First Ladies’ Conference on Drug Abuse in Washington in 1985 at the invitation of US First Lady Nancy Reagan.
She married Mahathir on August 5, 1956, and the couple had seven children. She became the wife of the Prime Minister during Mahathir’s two periods in office, from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020.
Beyond medicine and public service, Siti Hasmah was known for her interest in sports. She played competitive badminton until the age of 75 and later served as a patron of the Badminton Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Wheelchair Tennis Association.
The Malaysian government accorded her a state funeral. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed condolences to Mahathir and the family and directed government officials and the armed forces to assist with the funeral arrangements.
Her death closes a century-long life that combined medical service, public advocacy and a prominent role in Malaysia’s modern history. She is survived by her husband and seven children.