KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, wife of Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, will be given a state funeral following her death today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced.
In a statement, Anwar said he had directed the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Chief of the Armed Forces to assist with the funeral arrangements.
He also expressed his thoughts and prayers for Dr Mahathir and the family. He conveyed condolences on behalf of the government and the people, saying the nation would continue to remember her “motherly presence” and appreciate her service.
Dr Hasmah died today at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur. She was 100.
Born on July 12, 1926, in Klang, Selangor, Dr Hasmah was one of the first Malay women to champion medicine following her graduation from the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore.
In 1956, she married Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and eventually became the spouse of Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister.
