By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- “With proper education and training, rural women can help raise literate and productive children who, in turn, can be positive contributors to a nation’s growth and prosperity.”
Those were the words of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, expressing her confidence that education and training could open up greater opportunities for rural women to improve their families’ lives and, in turn, contribute to the national economy.
The country’s first Malay woman doctor passed away this morning at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in the capital.
Siti Hasmah’s passing was confirmed by her son, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, when contacted by Bernama today.
The wife of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who died at the age of 100, leaves behind a legacy that extends beyond the country’s borders, particularly through her efforts to champion the economic well-being and welfare of rural women.
Dr Siti Hasmah’s involvement in this agenda began on the international stage when she attended the Summit on the Economic Advancement of Rural Women in Geneva in 1992 at the invitation of Queen Fabiola of Belgium.
She was subsequently selected as one of the six Core-Group Initiators of First Ladies representing the Asia-Pacific region at an event organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the patronage of Queen Fabiola.
At the conclusion of the summit, the wives of the heads of state or government who participated adopted the Geneva Declaration for Rural Women, which focused on efforts to promote the economic empowerment and well-being of rural women and their families.
Dr Siti Hasmah’s involvement later expanded into a regional and international leadership role with her appointment as chairperson of the Regional Steering Committee on the Economic Advancement of Rural and Island Women for the Asia-Pacific Region in September 1995.
In the following year, she assumed the role of president of the International Steering Committee for Economic Advancement of Rural and Island Women for the Asia-Pacific Region.
Among the issues given attention was microfinancing as an approach to helping rural women tackle poverty.
In Malaysia, this commitment was translated into support for the development of rural women’s entrepreneurship, with Dr Siti Hasmah officiating the Rural Women Entrepreneur Development Seminar in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
The two-day seminar, organised in collaboration with Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) and Institut Perkembangan Minda (INMIND), featured various papers and workshops related to the development of rural women entrepreneurs.
Five years later, Dr Siti Hasmah also officiated the Nusantara Crafts Promotion at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex, which, among other things, created opportunities for cooperation between Malaysian and Indonesian craft entrepreneurs.
In her opening speech, she emphasised the importance of exchanging knowledge about products, motifs and their uses.
She also urged the public to support local handicraft products by making them their preferred choice for souvenirs and interior decoration to strengthen the local craft industry.
From the international stage to entrepreneurship programmes in Malaysia, Dr Siti Hasmah’s legacy is also evident in her efforts to expand opportunities for rural women through education and skills development, microfinancing and entrepreneurship.
This complemented her broader contributions in the areas of medicine, public health and welfare, making her advocacy for women and society an important part of her long service to the nation.
-- BERNAMA