{
  "id": 11051116,
  "title": "The day Mahathir spelt out his love for Hasmah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/the-day-mahathir-spelt-out-his-love-for-hasmah-11051116",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T22:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/10/01/the-day-mahathir-spelt-out-his-love-for-hasmah"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1955, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Dr Hasmah Mohamad Ali celebrated their love through a simple yet intimate gesture. As medical students at King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore, the pair had met in 1947. Over the years, they built a family and pursued medical careers while navigating the demands of public life. However, their love story began with a shy medical student who, unable to express his feelings directly, used a game of Scrabble to convey his affection. Mahathir arranged the letters on a board to spell the words \"I LOVE YOU,\" a symbol of their devotion that has remained unchanged for 71 years. Despite the passage of time and the public nature of their relationship, the essence of their bond has remained the same. In 2023, Mahathir's grandchildren recreated this moment at Merdeka Grill, capturing the essence of their grandparents' love in a more elaborate and visually striking setting.",
  "summary": "Too shy to say, “I love you”, a young Mahathir Mohamad found another way — spelling it out over a game of Scrabble.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "The day Mahathir spelt out his love for Hasmah",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/the-day-mahathir-spelt-out-his-love-for-hasmah",
        "published": "2026-09-30T22:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}