Siti Hasmah, wife of Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir, 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. Clad in a black mask, Mukhriz Mahathir, the youngest son of Siti Hasmah, was seen escorting his mother’s body away from the hospital.

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.

In a separate statement later, Anwar said Siti Hasmah will be conferred a state funeral assisted by Malaysia’s chief secretary to the government and chief of defence force. Siti Hasmah will be laid in rest at Pusara Negarawan, a national cemetery in Presint 20, Putrajaya, at 4.30 pm.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of PM Anwar, said Siti Hasmah was a person whose tranquility, fortitude and kindness left an everlasting impression.

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“Personally, Tun (Siti Hasmah) was not only a respected figure; she taught me how to conduct myself with dignity and elegance. Her wisdom, coupled with her warmth and pleasant demeanor, made her someone who was so easy to love,” she told The Straits Times.

Despite sharing a close personal bond, Siti Hasmah and Wan Azizah faced a challenging rift when their husbands publicly clashed in September 1998, following Anwar’s dismissal as deputy prime minister.

The two women reunited in an emotional, tearful embrace in November 2016 after Mahathir and Anwar reconciled to form a political alliance ahead of the 2018 General Election.

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 Mahathir, a classmate in university, in 1956. The couple celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary on Aug 5.

Their enduring marriage 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.

Expressing his grief, Syed Saddiq wished his final moments with Siti Hasmah could have lasted forever, describing her as funny, warm and full of wisdom.

“Today, Tun (Siti Hasmah) is no longer with us. I still can’t process the news. Thank you for giving Bella and me such a wonderful memory.

“We won’t be able to fulfil our wish of having Tun attend our wedding. But I promise you, Tun, your advice will be carried into our marriage, into our home, and, Insya-Allah, for the rest of our lives,” Syed Saddiq wrote on Facebook.

In the post, Siti Hasmah was pictured cuddling a teddy bear while taking a photo with Syed Saddiq and his fiancee, Bella. THE STRAITS TIMES