Malaysia is mourning the passing of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, who died on 28 September 2026 at the age of 100.
Born in Kampung Jawa, Klang, on 12 July 1926, she became one of the earliest Malay women to enter the medical profession. She studied at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore and graduated in 1955 before beginning her career in government healthcare.
Much of her early career was devoted to rural and public healthcare, particularly maternal and child health. In 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a medical officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department, and in 1974, she became the first woman to serve as Kedah’s State Maternal and Child Health Officer. Her work included immunisation, nutrition, infectious disease prevention, malaria control and care for high-risk pregnancies.
Beyond medicine, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah was active in women’s development, adult literacy, drug-abuse prevention and mental health, including representing Malaysia at international conferences and leading the Malaysian delegation to the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
She also served as Chancellor of Multimedia University from 1997 to 2012 and was a long-serving patron of the Badminton Association of Malaysia. She remained closely involved with Malaysian badminton and was patron for more than two decades, including during the country’s historic 1992 Thomas Cup victory.
In 2003, she was awarded the Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia (SSM), carrying the title Tun. She was the first wife of a Malaysian prime minister to receive the honour.
Married to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad since 1956, she was a mother of seven and remained a prominent figure in Malaysian public life for decades.
Her century-long life spanned Malaysia’s journey from the pre-independence era to the modern day, leaving a legacy particularly in medicine, public health, education, women’s development and community service.
Rest in peace, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.
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