KUALA LUMPUR: Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, died on Monday (Sep 28) at the age of 100.
She died at the National Heart Institute at about 9.20am. This was confirmed by her son Mokhzani Mahathir when contacted by state news agency Bernama.
Hasmah was a doctor who used her platform as the former prime minister’s wife to advocate maternal health, family planning, literacy, drug abuse prevention and mental health.
She had celebrated her 100th birthday on Jul 12. The following month, she was recognised by ASEAN Records as the Oldest Living Spouse of a Former Prime Minister.
Malaysian king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar expressed condolences on the passing of Hasmah in a Facebook post on Monday.
“Their Majesties prayed that her entire family would be granted strength, fortitude and patience in coping with the loss of their beloved family member,” Sultan Ibrahim posted on Facebook.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Hasmah would be accorded a state funeral. Anwar said he has directed the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Chief of the Armed Forces to assist with the funeral arrangements.
In a social media post, Anwar described Hasmah as “a gentle speaker, yet steadfast and strong in spirit, always caring for those around her with the love of a mother”.
“Today, the country has lost a figure close to the hearts of the people,” he wrote.
Mahathir, 101, served as Malaysia’s prime minister for two periods – from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020.
Hasmah had been married to Mahathir since 1956 and they marked 70 years together in August.
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