Hasmah, the woman who stood by Mahathir, dies at 100

Dr Hasmah Mohamad Ali, wife of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, died this morning.

Hasmah, who turned 100 on July 12, died at the National Heart Institute at 9.20am today.

She will be best remembered as the woman who stood by Mahathir throughout her husband’s decades of high-profile public life, including during his two terms as prime minister.

Hasmah is not only known as the spouse of one of Malaysia's most recognised faces in its modern history.

She was among the earliest Malay women to pursue a medical degree, and later became a prominent figure in maternal and child healthcare. She also authored articles and lectured on family medicine and related fields.

Born on July 12,1926, in Kampung Jawa, Klang, Hasmah was the sixth of 10 children.

She attended Methodist Girls’ School, St Mary’s School and Pudu English School in Kuala Lumpur before enrolling at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore (now part of the National University of Singapore), where she met Mahathir, who was also studying medicine.

They married in 1956 in Kuala Lumpur.

In recent weeks, she often appeared in public with her husband, both in wheelchairs and always surrounded by well-wishers hoping to take selfies with Malaysia's most famous couple.

One of her last public appearances was on Sept 14 in Putrajaya, where she was seen greeting people at a hospital.