Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, wife of former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has died at the age of 100.

Her death was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, when contacted by Bernama on Monday.

Born on July 12, 1926, in Klang, Selangor, Siti Hasmah was among Malaysia’s earliest Malay women doctors. She graduated in medicine from King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1955 and later worked with the Health Ministry, serving in several parts of the country, including Kedah.

Her career focused largely on public health, maternal and child healthcare, as well as women’s welfare and social development. She married Mahathir in 1956, and they had seven children, including writer and social activist Marina Mahathir and former Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir.

As the wife of the prime minister, Siti Hasmah was active in health, family welfare, women’s development and drug-prevention initiatives. According to The Star, she also held leadership roles in organisations including the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia.

Mahathir served as Malaysia’s fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and returned as the country’s seventh prime minister from 2018 to 2020.

In August 2026, Siti Hasmah and Mahathir were recognised as the world’s oldest living married couple and the oldest married couple ever recorded, according to reports on the recognition.

Siti Hasmah remained a prominent public figure alongside Mahathir after his retirement from politics.

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