Visitors flock to Pusara Negara to honour Siti Hasmah

PUTRAJAYA: Today, Pusara Negara in Precinct 20 witnessed an influx of visitors who came to pay their respects to Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of the former Malaysian Prime Minister. Dr Siti Hasmah passed away yesterday at the age of 100 after receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN). Flight attendant Mohamad Nur Firdaus Mansor, 41, shared his memories of serving the family in Langkawi, describing her as warm and motherly.

Firdaus, who learned of her death while in China, rushed back to Malaysia to the gravesite after arriving at KLIA.

At the shrine, a continuous flow of mourners recited Quranic verses and offered prayers under tents set up for the occasion. Senior citizen Che Ah Mahat, 77, from Taman Dengkil Jaya, came with a friend to pay her final respects. She expressed that although she primarily knew Dr Siti Hasmah as the wife of a former prime minister, she had always viewed her as a kind and gentle individual.

Born on July 12, 1926, Dr Siti Hasmah was a prominent figure in Malaysia. Beyond her role as the spouse of a former Prime Minister, she made significant contributions to medicine and social welfare. Dr Siti Hasmah made history as the first Malaysian woman to be admitted to study medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore.