Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, have made history after being officially recognised as the oldest living former prime minister and former prime minister’s spouse in ASEAN.
The recognition was presented by ASEAN Records and ASIA Records during a ceremony at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday, held in conjunction with their recent milestones — Mahathir’s 101st birthday on July 10, Siti Hasmah’s 100th birthday on July 12 and their 70th wedding anniversary on August 5.
The couple received three official records in total. ASEAN Records recognised Mahathir as the Oldest Living Former Prime Minister, while Siti Hasmah was named the Oldest Living Former Prime Minister’s Spouse.
Mahathir, who turned 101 last month, served as Malaysia’s prime minister for a total of 24 years across two non-consecutive terms, from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020.
Siti Hasmah, who celebrated her 100th birthday in July, has been married to Mahathir for 70 years since August 5, 1956. She served as the prime minister’s wife for a combined 24 years during his two terms in office.
The third recognition, awarded by ASIA Records, honoured Mahathir and Siti Hasmah as the first former heads-of-government couple in Asia to both reach the age of 100 while remaining alive.
Their combined age reached 201 years on July 12, when Mahathir was 101 and Siti Hasmah 100. The milestone also came after seven decades of marriage, making their longevity as a couple particularly notable.
Their story began in 1947 when both were studying medicine at King Edward VII College of Medicine. They eventually married in 1956 and went on to have seven children, with Mahathir later embarking on a political career that led him to become prime minister while Siti Hasmah played a prominent role in public service.
ASEAN Records and ASIA Records said their adjudication teams found no comparable achievement publicly documented across ASEAN 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 recognition adds another remarkable chapter to the couple’s seven-decade journey together, highlighting not only their extraordinary longevity but also their contributions to Malaysia through leadership and public service.
