Kuala Lampur, Oct. 5 -- For generations of Malaysians, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Allahyarhamah Tun Dr Hasmah have held a special place in our hearts. Through every chapter of our nation's journey, they were there: steady, familiar, quietly present. Now that she is gone, many of us grieve as we would for our own mother.

Her passing on Sept 28 has brought a deeply personal loss into our public life. For Tun Dr Mahathir, it means facing the days ahead without the woman who shared 70 years of marriage with him.

Our beliefs and perspectives may differ, yet we recognise the love at the heart of a lifelong companionship. It brings to mind our own parents growing old together and the small routines that make a shared life precious. In that hu...