KUALA LUMPUR: The remains of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, wife of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, were brought home from the National Heart Institute at 10.48am on Monday (Sept 28).
Her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, confirmed the matter.
The remains arrived at the couple’s residence at The Mines, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, at 11.15am.
Funeral prayers for Dr Siti Hasmah will be held after Asr prayers on Monday at Masjid As Syarif, Taman Sungai Besi Indah, Kuala Lumpur, before burial at the Presint 20 Muslim Cemetery in Putrajaya.
The National Heart Institute declined to issue any statement regarding her passing.
ALSO READ: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah passes away at 100
Dr Siti Hasmah, who turned 100 on July 12, was among the pioneering Malay women in the medical profession and was widely recognised for her contributions to maternal and child health.
Born in Kampung Jawa, Klang, Selangor, in 1926, she pursued medical studies at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore on a government scholarship and was the only Malay woman in her cohort.
It was there that she met Dr Mahathir, whom she married in 1956.
Dr Siti Hasmah began her medical career in government service and, in 1965, became the first woman appointed as a medical officer at the Maternal and Child Health Department in Kedah.
In 1974, she made history again when she was named the Kedah State Maternal and Child Health Officer, focusing on healthcare programmes for rural communities.
She retired from government service in 1979 and later served as a part-time lecturer at Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Dentistry.
During Dr Mahathir’s two terms as prime minister, Dr Siti Hasmah served as the prime minister's wife from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020.
She was actively involved in various charitable, educational and community organisations, championing women’s welfare, public health, youth development and family wellbeing.
Dr Siti Hasmah and Dr Mahathir had seven children.
Beyond her medical and community work, she was a talented violinist and pianist who remained passionate about music throughout her life.
