Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali: A Life of Grace, A Legacy of Care
Throughout my journalism career, I’ve interviewed countless personalities—ministers, business titans, and royalty. But only once did I sit down with the wife of a Prime Minister. That singular honour belonged to Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali. The interview took place one year into Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s unexpected return as Malaysia’s seventh Prime Minister in 2018, after having already served an extraordinary 22 years in office from 1981 to 2003. I remember the moment clearly. My notebook remained blank throughout—not out of negligence, but because I simply wanted to listen. I had my digital recorder running, but my attention was completely on her. There was something about her voice—calm, deliberate, full of warmth and wisdom. She shared stories of growing up, studying medicine, and navigating life as the wife of the nation’s most iconic leader. And I, quite honestly, was in awe. To me, Tun Dr Hasmah was not just a First Lady (if the term exists for the wife of the Prime Minister). She w...