Malaysian First Lady Passed Away This Morning

Datin Seri Endon meninggal dunia

Oct 20, 05 9:15am

Isteri Perdana Menteri Datin Seri Endon Mahmood kembali ke rahmatullah pada jam 7.55 pagi ini. Allahyarhamah mengembuskan nafas terakhir di kediaman rasmi Perdana Menteri di Putrajaya.

Datin Seri Endon yang menghidup penyakit barah payudara, kembali daripada rawatan di Amerika Syarikat sebelum bulan puasa, dan mendapat rawatan lanjut di Hospital Putrajaya.

Allahyarham dibawa pulang ke kediaman Perdana Menteri hujung minggu lalu, sebelum menghembus nafas terakhirnya pagi ini.

From Reuters:
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Endon Mahmood, the hugely popular wife of Malaysia's prime minister, died on Thursday, following a lengthy battle with breast cancer, national news agency Bernama said.

It quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying his wife had died at 7:55 a.m. at his official residence. She was 64.

Endon, as she was affectionately known by most Malaysians, was a huge source of inspiration for Abdullah, and many political analysts say she encouraged him to pursue the leadership.

Abdullah, 65, took power late in 2003, as the chosen successor of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad.

The soft-spoken Endon was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after her twin sister Noraini found out she had the disease in 2002.

Since then, she had made regular trips to the United States for treatment. Endon recently returned home from weeks of treatment in Los Angeles, but immediately went into hospital to guard against secondary infections, on doctor's advice.