Mahathir tears up as wife Siti Hasmah is laid to rest

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was seen visibly overcome with grief as he prepared to lay his late wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali to rest.

She passed away on Sep. 28 at the age of 100, leaving behind her husband and seven children.

Overcome with emotion

An Instagram video by Sinar Daily showed Mahathir overcome with emotion as he laid her to rest.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bersalaman dengan Tun M ketika tiba di Masjid As-Syarif sebelum memberi penghormatan terakhir kepada Jenazah Allahyarham Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. pic.twitter.com/QYhV9o3wda

— Scoop (@Scoopdotmy) September 28, 2026

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also present and shook hands with Mahathir before he paid his last respects to Hasmah.

She died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur at about 9:25am on Sep. 28, according to Free Malaysia Today.

The news was confirmed by her son Mokhzani Mahathir, The New Straits Times reported.

Mahathir also posted about his wife's passing on his Instagram.

On Facebook, the Malaysian Agong (king) Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar expressed condolences to Hasmah's family for their loss.

Born in 1926 in Klang, Selangor, Hasmah was one of the first Malay women doctors in Malaysia after studying medicine at Singapore's King Edward VII College of Medicine in the 1950s.

That was also where she first met Mahathir, who is now 101.

Under Malaysia's Ministry of Health, Hasmah became the first woman to be appointed the State Maternal and Child Health Officer in Kedah in 1974.

Later as the prime minister's wife, she continued to advocate for family planning, mental health, drug abuse prevention, and more.

Following the announcement of her passing at Malaysia's Parliament, a brief Islamic prayer was held in her honour, the Malay Mail reported.