Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad hospitalised a day after wife’s sudden death

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been hospitalised for observation since Tuesday, a day after his wife of 70 years died.

Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad arrives at the funeral ceremony of his wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali at As Syarif Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on September 28, 2026. (Najjua Zulkefli / AFP))The 101-year-old, who served twice as prime minister, has been hospitalised at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, his spokesman Sufi Yusoff said.

“The past two days has been very stressful for” Mahathir, his son Mokhzani Mahathir told Malaysia’s state-owned Bernama on Wednesday. “But for now, he is okay and there is no cause for concern.”

Mahathir said the death of his wife, Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, 100, on Monday was unexpected, recalling that she had appeared to be in good health the night before. In a video posted on his Facebook account, he was seen recounting her final hours to the ruler of Pahang state, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, who had come to pay his respects.

“I didn’t expect her to die today,” he said. “She was quite well last night.”

Mahathir, who used a motorised wheelchair and wore an oxygen tube, was visibly overcome with grief during the burial of his wife on Monday.

Siti Hasmah and Mahathir marked their 70th anniversary last month, a partnership that began when they were medical students in Singapore and endured through his rise from a doctor to the dominant figure in Malaysian politics.

His relationship with her contrasted with the confrontational politics that characterised much of his career, including his 1998 dismissal of then-deputy and current premier Anwar Ibrahim. With Siti Hasmah, Mahathir showed a softer side: the couple held hands, teased each other and remained openly affectionate well into old age.

Mahathir has been in and out of hospital in the past few years, and has suffered several heart attacks. He fractured his right hip in January, but subsequently recovered and resumed making public appearances.