‘Every corner reminds him of her’: Mukhriz appeals for privacy for Dr Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir has appealed to the public and the media to give his father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the necessary time and privacy to grieve following the passing of his beloved wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Mukhriz explained that the loss of his mother continues to weigh heavily on the former prime minister, noting that coming to terms with such a profound separation will require patience and care, Awani reported.

“Tun Mahathir, as we can see, has not even gone through a week since the passing of his beloved wife, who had been with him for 70 years. Naturally, it will take time for him to truly come to terms with the fact that my late mother is no longer with us.

“I believe that what is happening now is, to some extent, a manifestation of his emotional and physical condition,” he said.

Mukhriz was speaking to reporters after attending a tahlil and Yasin recitation ceremony held in memory of the late Dr Siti Hasmah at the Saidina Umar Al-Khattab Mosque in Bukit Damansara last night.

He said that being inside the family home has been emotionally difficult for the 101-year-old Dr Mahathir, as nearly every room brings back poignant memories of his late wife.

For that reason, Mukhriz said that it is preferable for Dr Mahathir to remain temporarily at the National Heart Institute (IJN) until his physical and emotional strength improves.

“I think that if he stays at home, everything he sees will remind him of my late mother. So perhaps it would be better for him to remain at IJN until he has fully recovered.

“Today, he also went to visit her grave, and that is a positive development,” he said last night.

Mukhriz urged everyone to empathise with what his father is experiencing and to refrain from placing undue pressure on him during this delicate period of mourning.

“I sincerely appeal to everyone, if possible, not to pressure him too much to find out about his emotional state and so on.

“Imagine if we ourselves were in the same situation. Of course, we too would feel an immense sense of loss. So please give him some space and time to recover on his own,” he said.

Dr Hasmah died at the age of 100 at IJN on September 28, drawing to a close a revered 70-year union that stood as one of the most enduring partnerships in the nation’s history.