Siti Hasmah

Infobox_Officeholder
honorific-prefix = Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr.
name = Siti Hasmah Mohammad Ali


imagesize =
birth_date = July 12, 1926
birth_place = Klang, Selangor
occupation = Medical doctor
order= First Lady of Malaysia
term_start= July 16, 1981
term_end= October 31, 2003
predecessor = Toh Puan Suhaila Tan Sri Noah
successor = Datin Paduka Seri Endon
alma_mater = Malaya University, Singapore
religion= Islam
spouse = Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad
children = Marina Mahathir, Mukhriz Mahathir, Mokhzani Mahathir
relations =

Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohamad Ali is the wife of the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Mahathir Mohammad. She served as First Lady of Malaysia for 23 years from 1981–2003.

She is currently the chancellor of the Multimedia University of Malaysia.

Early life

Siti Hasmah was born in Klang, Selangor on July 12, 1926 and obtained her MBBS from the University of Malaya in Singapore. [cite book|title=Biografi Wanita Malaysia|author=PERTIWI|publisher=Pertubuhan TindakanWanita Islam|pages=138|year=1983|isbn=] Often a pioneer in her profession, Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah was one of the first Malay women to enroll for a medical course at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore after World War II. In 1955 she graduated as a medical doctor from the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, which was then located in Singapore. She subsequently joined the government health service. She was one of the first Malay woman doctors in then Malaya. She married to Mahathir the following year in August. [cite book|title=Information Malaysia|author=|publisher=Berita Publ. Sdn. Bhd|pages=44|year=1975|isbn=] Their first child, Marina, was born in 1957.

Ten years later, she became the first woman to be appointed Medical Officer in the Maternal and Child Health Department, and in 1974, she was the first woman to be appointed the State Maternal and Child Health Officer.

Siti Hasmah is the author of several articles on family medicine and the socioeconomic factors associated with pregnancy and childbearing in Malaysia.

First Lady

Siti Hasmah became the First Lady of Malaysia following the appointment of her husband as Prime Minister in 1981.

She used her position as the wife of the Prime Minister to campaign tirelessly for women's health, family planning, drug abuse control and adult literacy. She also served in various positions as follows:
* President of the Malaysian Girl Guides Association
* Chairman of the Kedah Family Planning Association
* President of the Malaysian Medical Association Foundation
* President of the Association for the Rehabilitation of Handicapped Children
* Vice President of the Federation of Family Planning Associations of Malaysia
* Patron of the Malaysian Association of Maternal Health and Neonate
* Patron of the Malaysian Pediatric Association

As Patron of the Pan Pacific South Asia Women's Association, (PPSEAWA) Malaysia, Siti Hasmah attended and presented keynote addresses at the Triennial Conferences in Tokyo (1984), Bangkok (1991) and Tonga (1994).

ocial contributions

Drug abuse

As President of BAKTI (Welfare Club of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers), Siti Hasmah was active in efforts to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse. In 1985, at the invitation of United States First Lady Nancy Reagan, she attended the First Ladies' Conference on Drug Abuse in Washington D.C. She also represented Malaysia at the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Vienna in 1987.

Rural women

Siti Hasmah was also active internationally in promoting the cause of rural women. In 1992, at the invitation of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, she attended the First Ladies Summit for the Economic Advancement of Rural Women in Geneva. She was chosen as one of the six Core-Group Initiators of First Ladies representing the Asia-Pacific Region.

The summit was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the patronage of Queen Fabiola. At the end of the Summit, the First Ladies endorsed the Geneva Declaration on Rural Women, an instrument to formulate policies and programmes to enhance the economic advancement and welfare of rural women and their families.

At the summit, Siti Hasmah stressed the "with proper education and training, rural women can help raise literate and productive children who, in turn, can be positive contributors to a nation's growth and prosperity."

In February 1994, Siti Hasmah attended the ISC Council Meeting in Brussels at the invitation of Queen Fabiola. Then, in September 1995, she was appointed as Chairperson of Regional Steering Committee on the Economic Advancement of Rural and Island Women for Asia Pacific Region.

Eventually, in November 1996, she took over the presidency of the International Steering Committee for Economic Advancement of Rural and Island Women for Asia Pacific Region.

Mental health

Being a medical doctor by training, Siti Hasmah also has an interest in mental health. Former United States First Lady Rosalynn Carter invited Siti Hasmah to serve on the National Committee of the World Federation of Mental Health which Mrs Carter chaired.

Awards and recognition

For her 23 years of public service, her voluntary work, and her leadership in the fields of public health, literacy and drug abuse control, Siti Hasmah has received many honours. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as well as the Sultan of Selangor and the Sultan of Kedah, have bestowed titles upon her.

In 1988, she was awarded the Kazue McLaren Award by the Asia Pacific Consortium for Public Health.

In 1991, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia conferred on her the Honorary Doctorate in Medical Science.

In 1992, the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland, conferred on her the Honorary Doctorate in Public Health.

In May 1994, Indiana University, Bloomington conferred on Siti Hasmah the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, and in August the same year, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

On June 20, 1997 she was appointed as the Chancellor, Multimedia University (MMU) and patrons MESCORP.

In 2003, she was conferred the highest honorary title of "Tun" along with her husband, Dr Mahathir, by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

References

External links