Her death was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, who stated that she passed away at 9:20 a.m. Dr. Hasmah is survived by her husband, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who is 101, and their seven children. In a statement posted on the official Facebook page of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, the royal couple expressed their condolences, praying that the deceased be blessed by Allah SWT and that her family be granted strength and patience in facing their loss.
Born in Klang, Selangor, on July 12, 1926, Dr. Hasmah was the sixth of ten children in a distinguished family. Her siblings included Tun Ismail Mohamed Ali, former governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, and Gen Tun Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali, former chief of the armed forces. Her path to becoming a national icon began when she became one of the first Malay women to enroll at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore. It was there, in 1947, that she first met Dr. Mahathir, with whom she married on August 5, 1956, after graduating in 1955.
Dr. Hasmah’s career in public health was defined by groundbreaking milestones. In 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a medical officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department. In 1974, she further broke barriers by becoming the first woman to serve as a State Maternal and Child Health Officer in Kedah. Following a diploma in public health from the University of Michigan in 1966, she also served as a lecturer in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Malaya.
Her early career was dedicated to rural Kedah, where she spearheaded initiatives in basic hygiene, nationwide immunization, and public health education. Official health records credit her grassroots rural maternal initiatives with dramatically reducing infant mortality rates in the region, from 75 deaths per 1,000 live births to just six. This dedication to community welfare earned her the affectionate title of “Ibu Negara,” or Mother of the Nation, particularly during her husband’s tenure as prime minister.
Dr. Hasmah served as the spouse of the prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020. During these periods, she leveraged her national platform to champion maternal healthcare, family planning, and rural adult literacy. As president of the Welfare Club of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (BAKTI), she actively educated young people about the dangers of drug abuse. Her advocacy on this issue took her internationally; in 1985, she attended the First Ladies’ Conference on Drug Abuse in Washington at the invitation of U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan, and in 1987, she represented Malaysia at the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Vienna.
Beyond domestic health policy, Dr. Hasmah played a significant role in international diplomacy. In March 2000, she led an independent five-day humanitarian mission to Iraq to assess the impact of international sanctions on women and children. During this mission, she personally delivered medical supplies to pediatric hospitals and orphanages and held a private audience with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a meeting that remained confidential until it took place. She also led the Malaysian delegation to the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and chaired the First Ladies Dialogue at the 2003 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Summit.
Her influence extended to the arts and sports, where she served as a patron of the Badminton Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Wheelchair Tennis Association. An avid sportswoman, she played competitive badminton until the age of 75, earning recognition as a maternal figure to the country’s national players. In 1997, she became the inaugural chancellor of Multimedia University, a role she held until 2012.
In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Hasmah became the first wife of a Malaysian prime minister to receive the Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia (SSM) federal award, which carries the title “Tun.” Just last month, Dr. Hasmah and Dr. Mahathir were formally recognized by ASEAN and Asia Records as the oldest living former head of government and spouse in the region, marking the first such partnership where both partners attained the age of 100. Her death concludes an era in Malaysian public life, leaving behind a legacy of medical innovation, diplomatic engagement, and social advocacy.
