“Sorry If I Didn’t Wave Back”: Tun Dr Mahathir Speaks Amid Grief Over Loss Of Wife

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Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may have spent a lifetime in the public eye, but in a deeply personal message today (19 October), the former prime minister offered a glimpse of a man grieving the loss of his wife.

In a statement titled Terima Kasih (Thank You), the 101-year-old acknowledged that he had tried returning to the office of late, but admitted that his strength had yet to fully return.

He also took the opportunity to thank everyone who helped with the funeral arrangements for his late wife, Tun Dr Hasmah Mohamad Ali.

But beyond the formal words of gratitude was a poignant reflection on loss, faith and a lifetime spent together.

Dr Mahathir said the continuous prayers for Dr Hasmah, whether offered at the cemetery or elsewhere, had deeply moved him.

They reminded him to remain grateful to Allah for having blessed him with Hasmah’s companionship for so many years, even as he acknowledged that only a little of his own life remained.

It was a quiet but heartbreaking admission from a man who has spent decades at the centre of Malaysia’s political life.

For all the years of public service, political battles and national milestones, the loss of a lifelong partner is a deeply personal sorrow that no public office or achievement can soften.

Dr Mahathir also apologised to those whose greetings and waves he had not answered, including words of condolence that he had yet to reply during this difficult period.

He ended his message simply: Terima kasih.

Two words that, in this moment, carry the weight of a grieving husband trying to find his footing again.

For a couple whose marriage spanned more than seven decades, the loss is not merely that of a spouse, but of a companion who shared the ordinary moments, the difficult years and the many chapters of a life lived together.

Dr Hasmah passed away at the age of 100 at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur on 28 September 2026.

Born on 12 July 1926 in Klang, Selangor, she was among Malaysia’s pioneering Malay women doctors. After graduating from King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1955, she served as a medical officer, with work that included maternal and child healthcare and public health. She was also involved in women’s welfare, family planning, literacy and efforts to combat drug abuse.

She married Mahathir on 5 August 1956, and together they raised seven children. She stood beside him throughout his two terms as prime minister, from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020.

The government accorded her a state funeral, and she was laid to rest at Pusara Negara in Putrajaya on 28 September.

READ MORE: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Dies At 100

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