KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, beloved former first lady and wife of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has passed away at the age of 100.
The sad news was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir.
She passed away peacefully at 9.20 am today at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur.
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah is survived by her husband and seven children.
Allahyarham was far more than the woman beside Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister—she was a formidable pioneer in her own right who shattered glass ceilings in medicine, sports, and anti-drug advocacy.
Born on July 12, 1926, Dr Siti Hasmah entered the history books early as the first Malay woman offered a seat to study medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore.
Upon returning to Malaysia, her career as a physician broke ground for generations of women to follow. In 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a medical officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department, before stepping up in 1974 as the country’s first female State Maternal and Child Health Officer.
A global voice against drug abuse
During her tenure as the president of the Welfare Club of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (BAKTI), Dr Siti Hasmah spearheaded national campaigns to educate youth on the perils of substance abuse.
Her advocacy quickly crossed international borders. In 1985, at the invitation of US First Lady Nancy Reagan, she represented Malaysia at the First Ladies’ Conference on Drug Abuse in Washington. Two years later, she took to the global stage again at the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Vienna.
The nation’s ‘Badminton Mother’
Beyond her medical and diplomatic work, Dr Siti Hasmah was a passionate sportswoman who played competitive badminton until the age of 75.
Her enduring love for the court made her a beloved patron of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the Malaysian Wheelchair Tennis Association, earning her a revered status as a maternal figure to Malaysia’s national shuttlers.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the nation, she became the first wife of a Malaysian prime minister to be conferred the Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia (SSM)—the country’s highest federal honor—carrying the title “Tun”. – September 28, 2026