Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali Passes Away at 100: A Life of Service and Legacy
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, a pioneering Malaysian doctor and public health advocate, has passed away at the age of 100. This tribute looks back at her remarkable life, medical career and lasting contribution to Malaysia.
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali Passes Away at 100: A Life of Service and Legacy
Remembering a life dedicated to medicine, public health and service to Malaysia.
Malaysia mourns the passing of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, who died at the age of 100 on 28 September 2026.
Her passing was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir. She died at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur, according to reports published following her death.
Her death comes just over two months after she celebrated her 100th birthday on 12 July 2026. Earlier this year, the Perdana Leadership Foundation marked her centenary and highlighted her journey as one of Malaya's pioneering Malay women doctors and a long-time advocate of maternal and child healthcare.
For many Malaysians, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah was known as the wife of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. But her own story began long before she became a prominent national figure.
She was a doctor, a public health advocate, a mother and a woman who spent much of her professional life working in healthcare.
Her passing brings an end to a remarkable 100-year life that witnessed some of the most significant chapters in Malaysia's modern history.
A Pioneer in Malaysian Medicine
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah was born on 12 July 1926 in Kampung Jawa, Klang, Selangor.
After the Second World War, she enrolled at King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore on a government scholarship.
She was the only Malay female student in her batch.
It was also during her medical studies that she met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. They later married on 4 August 1956 in Kuala Lumpur.
She graduated as a medical doctor in 1955 and began her medical career in government service.
At the time, relatively few Malay women pursued careers in medicine. Her entry into the profession therefore became an important part of the history of women in Malaysian healthcare.
From Hospital Medicine to Public Health
After graduating, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah completed her housemanship at General Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
After her marriage, she moved to Alor Setar, Kedah, where she served as a medical officer at Alor Setar General Hospital.
Her career soon extended beyond hospital work.
She became involved in Ministry of Health programmes serving rural communities, where health education and access to healthcare were important priorities.
This experience would eventually shape one of the defining areas of her career: maternal and child health.
Making History in Maternal and Child Healthcare
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah made several significant milestones in Malaysia's public health service.
In 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a Medical Officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department in Kedah.
In 1974, she became the first woman appointed as Kedah's State Maternal and Child Health Officer.
Her work involved maternal and child healthcare, family planning and health education.
She also wrote about family medicine and the socioeconomic factors associated with pregnancy and childbearing in Malaysia.
Her career reflected a growing emphasis on preventive healthcare and community-based health services during Malaysia's development.
Reaching Rural Communities
A significant part of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah's medical career involved healthcare outside major urban centres.
She participated in Ministry of Health programmes aimed at improving health among rural communities.
Her work included health education and programmes related to maternal and child health.
These experiences gave her a direct understanding of the challenges faced by families living outside major towns and cities.
Her connection with rural healthcare also remained visible in her later public work, particularly through her involvement with women's development and family welfare.
From Doctor to a National Figure
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah retired from government service in 1979.
She subsequently joined the University of Malaya's Faculty of Dentistry as a part-time lecturer.
When Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister in 1981, she entered a much more prominent public role.
She was the Prime Minister's wife for 22 years, until 2003.
However, her public life continued to be closely connected to the issues she had worked on as a doctor.
Healthcare, women's welfare, family planning, education and community development remained among the causes associated with her public work.
Her Work for Women, Families and Communities
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah held various positions in organisations connected to health, family welfare and community development.
She served as president of the Malaysian Girl Guides Association, chairman of the Kedah Family Planning Association and president of the Malaysian Medical Association Foundation.
She was also involved with organisations supporting children with disabilities and maternal and child health.
Her work also extended internationally.
In 1995, she led the Malaysian delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she spoke on the theme of equality, development and peace.
Her international activities also included issues involving rural women, public health and mental health.
A Life Beyond Public Service
Beyond medicine and public service, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah had a lifelong interest in music.
She played the violin and piano, and continued to pursue her interests in music throughout her life.
The Perdana Leadership Foundation has also recorded her later interest in learning French and playing the erhu.
In 2016, she published her autobiography, My Name Is Hasmah, which tells the story of her upbringing, medical career, family and experiences in public life.
The autobiography provides a more personal perspective on a woman whose life unfolded alongside major changes in Malaysia.
A Marriage That Spanned Seven Decades
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah married Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on 4 August 1956.
Together, they had seven children.
Their marriage lasted seven decades.
In July 2026, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah celebrated her 100th birthday.
Her passing on 28 September 2026 now marks the end of a century-long life and a marriage that spanned 70 years.
A Century of Malaysian History
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah was born in 1926, before Malaya achieved independence.
She entered medical school after the Second World War.
She began her medical career in the 1950s.
She witnessed Merdeka in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
She later became one of the country's most recognisable women in public life.
Her life therefore provides a unique perspective on the transformation of Malaysia across the 20th and early 21st centuries.
From the development of rural healthcare to the growing participation of women in professional fields, her personal journey crossed many important chapters of the country's history.
Celebrating 100 Years
On 12 July 2026, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah reached her 100th birthday.
The Perdana Leadership Foundation described her as one of the earliest Malay women doctors and highlighted her work in maternal and child healthcare.
Her centenary provided an opportunity to reflect on a life that had witnessed an entire century of change.
Just over two months later, Malaysia mourns her passing.
Remembering Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali
The story of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah goes beyond her role as the wife of a former Prime Minister.
Her journey began with medicine.
She served in government healthcare.
She worked with rural communities.
She contributed to maternal and child health.
She supported women's health and family welfare.
And later, she used her public platform to continue supporting causes connected to healthcare and social development.
Her life also represents an important chapter in the history of Malaysian women in medicine and public service.
A Life of Service and Legacy
The passing of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali at the age of 100 on 28 September 2026 marks the end of a remarkable century-long journey.
From a young medical student in Singapore to a doctor serving communities in Kedah, and later one of Malaysia's most recognisable public figures, her life was closely connected to medicine, public health and service.
Her contributions are particularly remembered in maternal and child healthcare, rural health, women's welfare and public health.
But perhaps the most meaningful way to understand her life is through the many different chapters she lived through.
She was born before Merdeka.
She became a doctor during the early years of Malaya's development.
She witnessed the birth of Malaysia.
She spent decades supporting healthcare and public causes.
And she reached her 100th year before passing away on 28 September 2026.
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali
12 July 1926 – 28 September 2026
Al-Fatihah.
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