{
  "id": 10399175,
  "title": "Malaysians should unite in mourning Dr Siti Hasmah: A remarkable life and an inspiration — Phar Kim Beng",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/malaysians-should-unite-in-mourning-dr-siti-hasmah-a-remarkable-life",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T07:45:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2026/09/28/malaysians-should-unite-in-mourning-dr-siti-hasmah-a-remarkable-life-and-an-inspiration-phar-kim-beng/236874"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 28, Malaysia bid farewell to Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, a woman whose life spanned the entirety of modern Malaysia. The country's leader, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, expressed his admiration for her lifetime of contributions and service to the nation. Even the King and Queen of Malaysia paid tribute to her, sending condolences to her family.\n\nBorn in Klang in 1926, Dr Siti Hasmah broke barriers as the only Malay woman in her medical cohort at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore. She graduated as a doctor in 1955, marking the beginning of her remarkable journey in healthcare. In an era when opportunities for women in higher education and medicine were limited, she persevered and became a doctor, dedicating her career to the health of mothers and children.\n\nIn 1965, she became the first woman appointed as a Medical Officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department in Kedah, followed by her appointment as the first woman Maternal and Child Health Officer in 1974. Her work involved health programs in rural communities, a time when access to modern healthcare was not taken for granted. Dr Siti Hasmah's life exemplified the spirit of nation-building, which involved serving quietly in schools, hospitals, rural clinics, and communities.\n\nBeyond her professional achievements, Dr Siti Hasmah was a woman of many interests. She played the violin and piano, learning new skills even in her later years, including French and the erhu. Her love for music and curiosity for learning at an advanced age are testaments to her remarkable spirit.\n\nHer marriage to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, her husband and former Prime Minister, spanned seven decades, a journey that also encompassed Malaysia's transformation from colonialism and World War II to Merdeka, rapid development, political upheavals, and its emergence as a significant middle power in Southeast Asia. However, Malaysians should remember Dr Siti Hasmah not merely as the wife of a powerful political figure, but as a dedicated doctor who served mothers, children, and families, advocating for women's welfare, literacy, drug abuse, and mental health.\n\nIn her centenary year, Dr Siti Hasmah represented a living bridge across extraordinary periods of Malaysian history. She is a reminder that a meaningful life can continue to evolve with age, curiosity remaining alive, and humanity coexisting with public duty. In mourning her passing, Malaysians should recognize that national unity does not require agreement on every issue but rather the ability to recognize humanity beyond political disagreement. Dr Siti Hasmah's life offers Malaysia an opportunity to rediscover the elementary truth that we are all human beings, regardless of our race, religion, language, region, or political traditions.",
  "summary": "SEPTEMBER 28 — Malaysia has lost more than the wife of a former prime minister. In the passing of Tun Dr Siti Hasm...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "General : Beyond A Prime Minister's Wife, Pioneering Doctor Siti Hasmah Forged Her Own Legacy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/general-beyond-a-prime-ministers-wife-pioneering-doctor-siti-hasmah",
        "published": "2026-09-28T02:45:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Siti Hasmah passes away: Dr Mahathir's wife, pioneer Malay woman doctor dies at 100",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/siti-hasmah-passes-away-dr-mahathirs-wife-pioneer-malay-woman-doctor",
        "published": "2026-09-28T03:24:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}