SERI KEMBANGAN — Hundreds of mourners gathered at Masjid As-Syarif in Taman Sungai Besi Indah here today to pay their final respects to the late Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, with the swelling turnout briefly bringing surrounding traffic to a standstill.
Family members, close friends, cross-party political leaders, and members of the public began arriving from 1.15pm, well ahead of the arrival of Dr Hasmah's remains shortly before 3pm.
Her husband, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, arrived in a separate vehicle travelling alongside the hearse carrying his wife's remains.
Traffic police were stationed outside the mosque perimeter to manage the heavy vehicular influx, though surrounding access roads became heavily congested as crowds continued to pour in.
Inside the mosque, the congregation overflowed past the main prayer hall, spilling onto the verandah and crowding the entrance.
The gathering drew prominent figures from across the political spectrum, the military, and the Cabinet.
Among those seen paying their respects were Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu secretary-general Mohamed Azmin Ali, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and his fiancee Bella Astillah.
Also present were Royal Malaysian Navy Chief Admiral Zulhelmy Ithnain, Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, arrived around 4pm to pay their respects to the bereaved family.
Masjid As-Syarif served as the central venue for all funeral rites, including the final bathing and shrouding of the remains, the public viewing, and the funeral prayers.
The sheer size of the congregation prompted the mosque's imam to organise two separate Asar prayer sessions after the prayer hall reached maximum capacity, ensuring all present could perform their obligatory prayers before proceeding to the funeral prayer for Dr Hasmah.
Immediately following the funeral prayers, Dr Siti Hasmah's casket, draped in the national flag, the Jalur Gemilang, was borne out of the mosque by uniformed personnel and transferred into the ceremonial hearse to begin the final journey to the National Mausoleum in Precinct 20, Putrajaya.
Earlier in the day, Anwar announced that Dr Hasmah would be accorded a full state funeral in honour of her pioneering public service and lasting contributions to the nation.
Dr Hasmah died at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur this morning at the age of 100.
A medical pioneer who was among the earliest Malay women to enter the profession, she dedicated decades of service to improving maternal and child health across rural communities. She married Dr Mahathir in 1956, and they shared seven children.
@asiaone Beyond being the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali carved out a legacy of her own as a doctor, mother and public figure. #MalaysiaNews #Malaysia ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
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