PETALING JAYA: To many Malaysians, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was a pioneer in her own right.
Besides being a loyal and dedicated wife to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, she was also one of the first Malay woman doctors in then Malaya, having graduated from the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore.
Here are five more facts to know about Dr Siti Hasmah.
1. She was a breast cancer survivor
Sharing her experience during a Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in October 2019, Dr Siti Hasmah said doctors had confirmed a small lump in her left breast during a mammogram and biopsy at the hospital.
“The doctor advised me to remove the lump within a week. Initially, I did not want to tell my husband as I did not want to bother him as he was busy after returning from an overseas trip.
“Only after the results were revealed, and the doctor confirmed it was a growth, did I tell him, and he was shocked,” she said.
“I remember getting the results on Monday. We waited until Friday for me to be admitted into the hospital.
“In the afternoon, there was another check-up to confirm the growth was there, on Saturday morning I went into the operations theatre, and by the afternoon the operation was over. I was allowed to go home the next day,” she said.
2. She guest-starred in an episode of the animated series Upin & Ipin
Dr Siti Hasmah made a special cameo appearance alongside Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in the Season six special three-part episode titled "Terima Kasih Cikgu!" (Thank You, Teacher!) released in May 2018.
In the episode, both of them visited Tadika Mesra as special guests.
3. She was a music enthusiast
Dr Siti Hasmah played the violin during her youth and picked it back up in her 80s, often serenading audiences at public events.
On top of public performances, she had also given away a signed violin to be auctioned off for thousands of ringgit to support causes.
Besides the violin, she also played the piano.
4. She was portrayed in theatre, documentaries and films.
Among the actresses who have portrayed her are Erra Fazira in the theatre production, Mahathir, the Musical, Datin Sofia Jane and Lisa Surihani in Teater Tun Siti Hasmah.
Actresses who have played her on the silver screens are Fadhilah Mansor in Kapsul and Fauziah Latiff in Mahathir: The Journey.
5. She revealed in a podcast that her name is just "Hasmah"
While Malaysians know her as Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, she once revealed that her real name does not have "Siti" – it is simply "Hasmah".
She explained that the "Siti" moniker was added after she and Dr Mahathir moved from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur, reported Astro Awani.
"I need to correct... I was not born as "Siti Hasmah". I was only born (with the name) Hasmah," she said in an interview on the "Coffee with Ryan" podcast in 2024.
She said the "Siti" came about because it was a trend back in 1970, when she was appointed as a medical officer in the maternal and child health department.
