Tun M and Dr Hasmah set historic centenarian milestone as former leader couple

SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali have made history after being recognised as the first former head of government and spouse in Asia to both become living centenarians.

The couple, with a combined age of 201, received three official records from Asean Records and Asia Records during a ceremony at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya.

At 101, Dr Mahathir who was also a former Langkawi Member of Parliament was recognised by Asean Records as the Oldest Living Former Prime Minister, while Dr Siti Hasmah, 100, was recognised as the Oldest Living Spouse of a Former Prime Minister.

The third record, jointly conferred by Asia Records, recognised the couple as the First Former Head of Government and Spouse to Both Become Living Centenarians.

The recognition came as the couple marked two remarkable birthdays within days of each other, with Dr Mahathir turning 101 on July 10 and Dr Siti Hasmah celebrating her 100th birthday on July 12.

Their milestone came just days after the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Aug 5, having married in 1956 after first meeting as young medical students at King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1947.

Over seven decades together, the couple raised seven children while building a life that spanned medicine, family and public service.

Dr Mahathir served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020.

During the same periods, Dr Siti Hasmah served as the country's first lady, accompanying her husband through two separate periods of national leadership.

The adjudication team said its verification found no equivalent achievement publicly documented across the Asean region and major Asian markets.

The certificates were presented by Asean Records and Asia Records Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi, accompanied by chief adjudicators Gillian Ooi and Eldrick Koh.

The latest recognition added another milestone to the couple's remarkable public journey, which had spanned seven decades of marriage, medical service, family life and national leadership.