Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, wife of former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, dies aged 100

[KUALA LUMPUR] Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, wife of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Sep 28), Malaysian media reported. She was 100.

She had been married to Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister since 1956. The couple had seven children. Mahathir has confirmed his spouse passing away in a Facebook post.

Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah offered their condolences to Siti Hasmah’s family.

“Their Majesties pray that the family of the deceased is given the strength, resilience and patience in facing the loss of their loved one,” said Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page.

Upon learning of Siti Hasmah’s passing, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim asked the audience to recite a prayer for the departed during an event.

“May I share some sad news this morning. We have learned of the passing of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. May Allah bless her soul,” Anwar was quoted as saying in The Star.

Siti Hasmah was born in Klang, Selangor, on Jul 20, 1925.

She obtained her medical degree from King Edward VII College of Medicine – a predecessor of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. Upon graduating in 1955, she became one of the first Malay female medical officers in Malaya.

She married her university classmate, Mahathir Mohamad, in 1956. The couple, who celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary on Aug 5, raised seven children, including businessman Mokhzani, social activist Marina Mahathir, and politician Mukhriz Mahathir.

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Their enduring marriage has inspired many, leading former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and his fiancee, singer-actress Bella Astillah, to seek their marital advice on Sep 26 ahead of their upcoming wedding.

A popular figure in her own right, Siti Hasmah was known for her unassuming personality and good humour, which contrasted with her husband’s blunt and acerbic style. As a political spouse, she championed public health, family planning and other social causes.

Mahathir once described her as the backbone to his success, and said he admired her determination to obtain a university degree, a rarity among ethnic Malay women at the time.

“That, I think, reflects her strength of character,” he told CNN in 2018. THE STRAITS TIMES

This is a developing story.