Obituary: Tan Sri Aishah Ghani

Today, I received sad news of my grandaunt's demise. I heard her name before I went to school in Alor Star, Kedah. Her cousin, the late Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail (Coco) also told me about her and explained his relationship with her family. Her father and Coco's father were blood brothers. Coco went to fetch chickens in Alor Star during the war, where Aishah's father lived.

Bapak always told me about her but he didn't mention our families were related. I only knew from Coco that we were.

I have never met her in person. As a small child and teenager, I would always come close to the TV to watch her and listen to whatever she said. I read her biography in a book at Arkib Negara Malaysia before I completed writing my books on The Early Malay Doctors. She comes from a Malay background with religious upbringing. She went to Sumatra to study there.

Tan Sri Aishah Ghani was the first female MP in the first Malaysian Cabinet. She worked alongside Malaysia's PMs - Tunku, Tun Razak, Tun Hussien Onn and Tun Mahathir.

She passed away today, Friday, 19 April 2013 at noon. She is laid to rest at Tanah Perkuburan Islam at Bukit Kiara.

Aishah Ghani while in Pahang, handing a scroll to Dr Mohamed bin Taib, an early Malay doctor.
Photo from the album of Dr Mohamed Taib's family.