Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Was a Remarkable Woman I Called ‘Mummy’ – Tunku Azizah

KUALA LUMPUR: Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah expressed her sorrow over the passing of the late Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali in an emotional tribute published by Sinar Daily and shared on the Pahang Sultanate’s Facebook page on Wednesday.

In the tribute, Tunku Azizah shared numerous personal memories of the late Dr Siti Hasmah, whom she described not only as a respected national figure but also as someone so close to her heart that she regarded her as a mother.

“I called her Mummy. She called me sayang,” Her Royal Highness wrote, recalling the close relationship they had shared since she was young.

According to Tunku Azizah, one of her most unforgettable memories involved a Bvlgari watch presented to Dr Siti Hasmah by her father, the late Sultan Iskandar, when he served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1984 to 1989.

She said Dr Siti Hasmah continued to wear the watch whenever they met at official functions and during palace visits.

“Perhaps she knew how much that watch meant to me. She honoured my father and, at the same time, showed his daughter that she still remembered him,” she wrote.

Tunku Azizah also recalled how their relationship began when she was still a young princess and frequently accompanied her mother to official functions.

Among the memories that remain vivid was sharing a cake with Dr Siti Hasmah at a Girl Guides event because Tunku Azizah’s birthday on Aug 5 happened to coincide with the wedding anniversary of Dr Siti Hasmah and her husband, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

She also remembered Dr Siti Hasmah’s interest in her wedding attire following the royal wedding in Johor, including her curiosity about every detail of the outfit, which was made from Brunei songket and adorned with beadwork.

In her tribute, Tunku Azizah also revealed a more personal side of Dr Siti Hasmah that may not have been widely known.

She said Dr Siti Hasmah enjoyed sharing light-hearted stories, including one about a golf ball that once landed on her home balcony and another about monkeys stealing food.

Dr Siti Hasmah also had a deep love for music and frequently sent Tunku Azizah recordings of herself playing the violin.

She had even sung “Happy Birthday” in a special voice message for Tunku Azizah’s birthday.

Due to vision problems in her later years, Dr Siti Hasmah preferred sending voice messages rather than typing.

Tunku Azizah said she saved Dr Siti Hasmah’s phone number under the name “Mum HP” because she regarded her as a mother.

“She called me sayang, held my hand and gave me advice in the gentlest way,” she wrote.

According to Tunku Azizah, their relationship grew even closer during the reign of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

She described Dr Siti Hasmah as someone who understood what she was going through without requiring much explanation, including during difficult periods in her life.

On one occasion, Tunku Azizah said, Dr Siti Hasmah sent her a brief but deeply meaningful voice message that made it clear she was offering encouragement and support.

In the tribute, Tunku Azizah also reflected on Dr Siti Hasmah’s contributions to the country, which she said extended far beyond her role as the wife of Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister.

She described Dr Siti Hasmah as a woman who served the country in her own capacity and strength, and who set an example for the spouses of leaders in their efforts to serve society.

“She carried public life with great dignity but never lost her warmth and humanity.

“To me, she was the finest example of a leader’s wife — dignified, gracious and always caring towards others,” she said.

Among the qualities Tunku Azizah admired most was Dr Siti Hasmah’s humility.

She recalled how Dr Siti Hasmah once came to apologise after reading a book that referred to herself as the “First Lady”.

“I am not the First Lady. The Queen is the First Lady. Forgive me, Tuanku,” Dr Siti Hasmah had said.

According to Tunku Azizah, Dr Siti Hasmah had no need to apologise for words written by someone else, but the gesture reflected her graciousness and the respect she always showed towards others.

The last voice message Tunku Azizah received from Dr Siti Hasmah, she said, was sent in November 2023 while she was in Istanbul with Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdoğan.

In the message, Dr Siti Hasmah said she missed Tunku Azizah and wished to embrace her.

“I listened to her voice again after she passed away, and I cried,” she wrote.

Towards the end of her tribute, Tunku Azizah said that as she bade a final farewell to Dr Siti Hasmah, her thoughts returned to the many memories they had shared — from the cake they shared when she was a child and Dr Siti Hasmah’s visits to the hospital, to the touch of her hand and the affectionate way she called her “sayang”, which came to symbolise their relationship.

She also reflected on Dr Mahathir, who must now continue his life without the wife who had faithfully remained by his side for seven decades.

Returning to the story of the watch given by her father, Tunku Azizah said Dr Siti Hasmah never spoke about loyalty or remembrance.

“She simply wore the watch. That was Mummy. There will never be another like her.”

Tunku Azizah concluded her tribute with a prayer that Allah SWT forgive Dr Siti Hasmah’s sins, shower her soul with mercy and grant her the highest place in paradise.

Awani