Who is Siti Hasmah? Wife of Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Passes Away at 100
Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, passed away at the age of 100 on Monday. Siti Hasmah breathed her last at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur at approximately 09:20 local time.
The news was confirmed by her son, Mokhzani Mahathir, to the national news agency Bernama. The passing of Siti Hasmah is a loss for her family and the Malaysian people, who had recently celebrated her 100th birthday on 12 July 2026.
Last August, Siti Hasmah received recognition from ASEAN Records, as she and Mahathir were honoured as the oldest living couple of a former prime minister.
Mahathir, who is now 101 years old, shared the news via social media by posting a photo of his wife accompanied by prayers for God to grant her forgiveness, mercy, and peace. The post received hundreds of thousands of responses from the Malaysian public within hours of being published.
Who was Siti Hasmah?
Siti Hasmah studied medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore. It was there that she met Mahathir, and the couple married in 1956.
She became the first woman appointed as a government medical officer in Kedah, Mahathir’s home state. In addition to her career as a doctor, Siti Hasmah was active in campaigning for various social and health issues.
She utilised her role as the wife of the Prime Minister to draw attention to maternal health, family planning, the eradication of drug abuse, literacy, and mental health. Mahathir served as Malaysia’s Prime Minister for two terms, namely 1981–2003 and 2018–2020.
From her marriage to Mahathir, they had seven children, including the activist and author Marina Mahathir and the former Menteri Besar of Kedah, Mukhriz Mahathir. Their marriage reached its 70th anniversary in August 2026.
In her memoir published in 2016, titled ‘My Name is Hasmah’, Siti Hasmah described Mahathir as a figure she admired, referring to him as a ‘hero’ who supported her during her medical studies.
State Funeral
Siti Hasmah’s remains were taken to the family residence in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, after departing from the National Heart Institute at approximately 11:15 local time. Several Malaysian figures arrived to offer their condolences.
Former PM Muhyiddin Yassin and Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former PM Najib Razak, were also seen attending the funeral procession. Malaysia’s current PM, Anwar Ibrahim, alongside his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, also attended to pay their final respects.
Anwar described Siti Hasmah as a person who spoke with gentleness but possessed steadfastness and strength of spirit, always caring for those around her with a mother’s love. Siti Hasmah was subsequently buried with state honours at the National Heroes’ Cemetery at approximately 18:36 local time.