PUTRAJAYA, June 30 — Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali turns 90 on July 12 and in conjunction with the milestone, she will release her biography.
Titled My Name is Hasmah, the book took her six months to write and is set to be released on July 20 as part of her birthday celebrations.
It includes a collection of warm and enriching stories of her upbringing, career in medicine, adventures and occasional misadventures as she travelled the world with her husband, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Siti Hasmah said many requested she come up with a book for a long time, especially since she retired.
“I was asked to follow what my husband did and start to write our memoirs,” she said at a special meeting with the press at Perdana Leadership Foundation to announce the book.
“I intended to but I was so busy with my commitments with my husband, going here and there. We have so much to share with the public.”
A person who enjoys conversations, Dr Siti Hasmah said she had always wanted to share her experiences as a doctor when she served the rural areas of Kedah.
She said in jest: “It was really unfair my husband took eight years to do his book and I had to do mine in six months in 2015.”
Her daughter, Datin Paduka Marina, who had a preview of the book, said it was interesting, full of old and new photographs.
“It’s all her stories when she was young, through the war years, university, meeting my dad, marriage, career, children, being the prime minister’s wife and a few afterthoughts,” said Marina.
“Also some interesting stories about mom’s life, some of which I didn’t know myself until I read them, mostly stories from before I was born.”
The book had the support of the same team that put together Dr Mahathir’s book.
“The book will be published by Karangkraf Group, with the help of a team of editors from Salt Media Group,” she said.
“I think it’s amazing she’s turning 90 and we’re shouting it from the rooftops.”
