Following the passing of Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali at the National Heart Institute (IJN) at the age of 100, Malaysians are mourning the loss of one of the country’s most recognisable public figures.
While many remember her as Malaysia’s former First Lady and wife of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, she also carved out an extraordinary career of her own, particularly in medicine, public health, women’s affairs and social welfare.
Here are eight things you may not know about the remarkable life of Tun Dr Hasmah:
1.She was among the early Malay women to enter medicine
Born on 12 July 1926, Tun Dr Hasmah became one of the earliest Malay women to enter the medical profession in Malaya.
She enrolled at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1947. According to her own account, preserved by the Prime Minister’s Office, only 10 of the 75 students in her post-war intake were women, and she was the only Malay woman in the cohort.
She graduated in 1955 before returning to Kuala Lumpur for her housemanship.
2. She made history in maternal and child healthcare
Tun Dr Hasmah made history several times during her medical career.
According to the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Universiti Malaya, she became the first woman to be appointed a Medical Officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department in 1965.
Then, in 1974, she became the first woman to be appointed State Maternal and Child Health Officer in Kedah.
Her work in public health also involved rural communities, where she promoted hygiene, healthy lifestyles and immunisation for children.
3. She went on to serve in higher education
According to the Perdana Leadership Foundation, Tun Dr Hasmah then became a part-time lecturer at the University of Malaya’s Dental Faculty, serving there until 1981.
She would go on to have an even longer connection with higher education, serving as Chancellor of Multimedia University from 1997 to 2012.
4. She was actively involved in Malaysia’s badminton scene
Dr Hasmah’s involvement in badminton extended far beyond being a spectator.
She served as patron of the Yayasan Badminton Malaysia and used the organisation to promote access to the sport, particularly outside major urban centres.
In a 1997 speech archived by the Prime Minister’s Office, she discussed the foundation’s efforts to establish community badminton courts and develop young players. Another National Archives record documents her launching the Milo-Carlton Junior Badminton Circuit in 1993.
5. She led Malaysia’s delegation to a major UN women’s conference
Beyond her medical career, Tun Dr Hasmah also played a prominent role in international efforts concerning women’s rights.
BERNAMA reported that in 1995, she led Malaysia’s delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where representatives from around the world gathered to discuss issues affecting women and girls, where Malaysia was among the countries involved in the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
6. She took Malaysia’s anti-drug message to the international stage
As the president of BAKTI (Welfare Club of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers), Dr Hasmah was also involved in campaigns addressing drug abuse.
In another speech archived by the Prime Minister’s Office, she recalled taking part in the “Say No To Drugs” conference organised by US First Lady Nancy Reagan in April 1985, alongside First Ladies from around the world.
Two years later, she addressed a drug-abuse seminar in Vienna, with her 1987 speech also preserved in the PMO archives.
7. She received international recognition for her public health work
Her contributions to medicine and public health eventually received recognition outside Malaysia.
According to Berita Harian, in 2018, the National University of Singapore awarded her its Distinguished Alumni Service Award, recognising her as a pioneering woman doctor and for her sustained contributions to public health in Malaysia and beyond.
NUS also highlighted her status as the only Malay female student in her 1947 medical cohort and her pioneering appointments in maternal and child health.
8. She was named ‘Ibu Negara’ in 2019
In 2019, Tun Dr Hasmah was honoured with the title ‘Ibu Negara’ by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) in recognition of her decades of contributions to Malaysia.
According to Berita Harian, Tun Dr Hasmah became emotional upon receiving the honour during a gala dinner held in conjunction with National Women’s Day in Petaling Jaya.
ASLI chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah said she was selected for her contributions to medicine and society, as well as her advocacy for women’s rights, family issues and efforts to combat drug abuse.
The occasion also saw the introduction of a RM10 million Tun Dr Hasmah scholarship through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, supporting creative arts and music.
The recognition was particularly meaningful to Tun Dr Hasmah herself, who said she wished she could share the moment with her late parents and siblings, whom she credited for helping shape the person she became.
As Malaysia remembers Tun Dr Hasmah, her legacy is therefore not simply tied to the office held by her husband. It also belongs to the doctor, public-health advocate, women’s rights advocate, sports patron and community leader who spent decades serving Malaysians in her own right.
Tun Dr Hasmah died at IJN on 28 September 2026, aged 100. Her passing was confirmed by her son, Datuk Seri Mokhzani Mahathir, according to BERNAMA.
Deepest condolences are extended to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, their children and family, and all Malaysians mourning the loss of a remarkable national figure.
