Update, May 23, 3pm: Mahathir's wife real bag found.

Malaysia’s First Lady Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali has won widespread praise in Malaysia and beyond for her modesty.

Photographed with regular handbag

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's wife was photographed carrying a RM125.10 (S$42.20) handbag on Monday, May 21.

She appeared alongside her husband who gave the prime minister’s first address to civil servants.

Malaysians thrilled

Siti Hasmah’s modest choice of accessory thrilled Malaysians.

It was a welcome change as ousted former first lady Rosmah Mansor was prone to ostentatious displays of wealth. She was frequently photographed with her designer handbags and assorted accessories.

Speculation online is that the bag held by Siti Hasmah was made by Marie Claire, an inexpensive brand that is sold online.

It is believed to be available on online merchant platform Zalora and Lazada.

One comment on the Facebook post read: “The modesty of Tun’s wife has been honored and praised by Malaysia’s multiracial community.”

Other comments predicted shoppers would rush to buy the bag on e-commerce websites like Lazada and Zalora.

Another comment said: “Cheap things in the hands of good and decent people can look elegant but expensive things in the hands of bad people make them look cheap and old.”

Mahathir was recently praised for wearing S$4 Bata shoes.

Mahathir's address

During the address in Purtajaya, the country’s federal administrative capital, Mahathir, 92, said Malaysia is saddled with over RM1 trillion ($337.1 billion) debt.

He also laid blame on the previous government led by his former protege Najib Razak.

Mahathir had campaigned aggressively over people’s rising living costs and a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in the May 9 election, which his coalition won decisively.

“We find that the country’s finances, for example, was abused in a way that now we are facing trouble settling debts that have risen to a trillion ringgit,” Mahathir said when speaking for the first time to staff of the prime minister’s office.

“We have never had to deal with this before. Before we never faced debts higher than 300 billion ringgit, but now it has climbed to 1 trillion ringgit.”

Malaysia’s anti-graft agency has summoned Najib to give a statement on Tuesday, May 22.

Police have seized what could amount to millions of dollars worth of luxury handbags and jewellery, as well as cold hard cash, from properties belonging to or linked to Najib.

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