Mahathir admitted for observation after wife’s death

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has been admitted to the National Heart Institute for observation, his office confirmed on Wednesday, a day after the death of his wife, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali. Mahathir was taken to the hospital on Tuesday night. His long-time aide, Sufi Yusoff, told reporters that doctors were still assessing him and that the reason for the admission was not yet known.

The hospitalisation followed the death of Siti Hasmah, Mahathir’s wife of 70 years, at the same hospital. Condolences have been expressed by Malaysians and regional leaders following her death. In a short video shared on Mahathir’s social media accounts, he spoke to Pahang ruler Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah about his loss.

“I did not expect to lose her today,” Mahathir said. The former leader has experienced several hospitalisations in recent years. In January, he spent three weeks in hospital after fracturing his right hip in a fall at home.

Doctors decided against surgery because of his age, and the injury left him using a wheelchair. He was also admitted to the heart institute for fatigue several months after attending a picnic marking his 100th birthday. In October 2024, he spent two weeks in hospital after contracting a lung infection.

Mahathir has a history of heart problems and underwent bypass surgeries in 1989 and 2007. He served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and returned to the office from 2018 to 2020. His political career included economic transformation as well as criticism over the detention of opposition politicians, activists and journalists under Ops Lalang.