Dr Hasmah remembered as pioneer of Malaysia’s rural public health

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Malaysia's pioneering doctor and public health advocate, passed away at the age of 100 at the National Heart Institute. Formerly the life partner of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, she made significant strides in medicine and public service, focusing on maternal and child health, immunisation, rural women's development, drug abuse prevention, and adult literacy.

Her career spanned decades, with her initial ambition being journalism before she chose medicine to serve her country for many years. Born in Kampung Jawa, Klang, Selangor, in 1926, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah was the sixth of 10 children. She received her early education at various schools and was the only Malay woman studying medicine at King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1947.

After graduating in 1955, she began her career as a house officer at Kuala Lumpur Hospital and later moved to Kedah, where she witnessed the healthcare challenges faced by rural communities, shaping her future work. Appointed as acting medical superintendent for northern Kedah in 1962, she became the first woman medical officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department and principal of the Rural Health Training School in Jitra.

Her advocacy for rural women and children led her to travel to villages, providing treatment, immunisation, and health education. Her efforts in Kedah resulted in a significant decline in infant mortality, and she shared Malaysia's public health experience internationally in Washington. Retiring from government service in 1979, she continued her work as a part-time lecturer in social medicine at Universiti Malaya until 1981.

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah received numerous awards for her contributions, including Kedah’s Excellent Service Medal in 1964 and the National Anti-Drug Icon Special Award in 2020. Her international work included representing Malaysia at a drug abuse conference in Vienna in 1987 and serving as patron of the Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women’s Association Malaysia.

Her commitment to advancing rural women was evident in her attendance at the First Ladies Summit for the Economic Advancement of Rural Women in Geneva in 1992. Her legacy, encapsulated in her own words from Suri Hati Mahathir, The Other Half, was to leave behind her love and advice for people to practice.