Departures of note

Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was a Malaysian physician and public figure who served as the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia for nearly 24 years, during her husband Mahathir Mohamad's two premierships (1981–2003 and 2018–2020). Born in Klang, Selangor, in 1926, she was one of the first Malay women to study medicine, graduating from the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1955 and becoming one of the first Malay female doctors in the then-Federation of Malaya. She married Mahathir in 1956 and they had seven children.

As a pioneering doctor, she achieved several firsts in Malaysia's health service, including becoming the first woman appointed State Maternal and Child Health Officer in Kedah, where she helped sharply reduce the infant mortality rate. As the prime minister's wife, she advocated for women's health, family planning, drug abuse control, adult literacy, and mental health awareness, representing Malaysia at international conferences and leading delegations including the 1995 UN World Conference on Women in Beijing. She also served as the first chancellor of Multimedia University and held leadership roles in numerous welfare and professional organisations.

Siti Hasmah died on 28 September 2026 at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur at the age of 100, and was given a state funeral.