Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has died at the age of 100.
Siti Hasmah died on Monday at the National Heart Institute, according to her son Mokhzani Mahathir. No further details about her death were immediately available.
Her death comes after a remarkable life that combined medicine, family, public service and decades alongside one of Malaysia’s most prominent political figures.
Siti Hasmah and Mahathir’s Long Marriage
Siti Hasmah met Mahathir while they were both studying medicine in Singapore during the late 1940s.
The couple married and went on to spend more than seven decades together. In August, they marked their 70th wedding anniversary.
Together, they raised seven children, including businessman Mokhzani Mahathir, social activist Marina Mahathir and politician Mukhriz Mahathir.
While Mahathir became a central figure in Malaysian politics, Siti Hasmah developed a public profile of her own.
A Life Dedicated to Public Health
Siti Hasmah was known for her work on public health, family planning and other social causes.
She was also widely recognised for her modest personality and sense of humour. Those qualities contrasted with Mahathir’s more direct public style.
Over the years, she remained a prominent presence beside her husband during his long political career.
Mahathir himself once credited Siti Hasmah as the backbone of his success. He also admired her determination to earn a university degree at a time when that was uncommon among ethnic Malay women.
“That, I think, reflects her strength of character,” he told CNN in 2018.
Mahathir’s Long Political Career
Mahathir Mohamad, now 101, served as Malaysia’s prime minister during two separate periods.
His first tenure lasted from 1981 until 2003 and coincided with a period of rapid industrial growth in Malaysia. During those years, the country developed into one of Southeast Asia’s major economic performers.
Mahathir later returned to the premiership in 2018 after coming out of retirement. He became the country’s oldest prime minister after his coalition defeated the government led by Najib Razak.
His second period as prime minister lasted less than two years. It ended in 2020 after his coalition collapsed amid political infighting.
Siti Hasmah’s Place in Malaysia’s Public Life
Although best known internationally as Mahathir’s wife, Siti Hasmah maintained a public identity through her involvement in health and social issues.
Her life also spanned major changes in Malaysia, from her early medical education to decades of public service alongside her husband.
For 70 years, the couple remained married while Mahathir occupied one of the country’s most influential political positions for more than two decades.
Siti Hasmah’s death marks the end of a long public life that was closely connected with Malaysia’s modern political history. She leaves behind seven children and a legacy shaped by medicine, family and social causes.
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