Siti Hasmah, wife of former Malaysian PM Mahathir, dies at 100

Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has died aged 100.

Mahathir’s office said a funeral would be held on Monday evening before her burial at a Muslim cemetery in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences and said she would be given a funeral with full state honours. “The nation will continue ⁠to remember her motherly figure and appreciate her contributions and services,” Prime Minister Anwar said in ​a statement.

Siti Hasmah was a public health advocate and the first woman to be appointed a medical officer in Kedah, Mahathir’s home state. As the spouse of a political leader, she supported maternal health, family planning and other social causes.

She met Mahathir when they were both medical students in Singapore in the late 1940s. They marked 70 years of marriage in August and had seven children, including Mokhzani, Marina and Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mahathir, now 101, served two terms as Malaysia’s prime minister for more than 20 years. His first term ran from 1981 to 2003 and saw a period of rapid industrial growth. He returned to office in 2018 but left in 2020 when his coalition collapsed.

Siti Hasmah was known for her modest nature and sense of humour. Mahathir had described her as the backbone of his success and praised her determination to earn a university degree.