Her daughter, Dr Fawziah Ishak, said Fatimah died at 2.35am at KPJ Tawakkal Hospital here while recovering from a stroke that happened a year ago.

“We were surprised because on the first day of Aidilfitri (April 22), my mother said she was able to walk six steps and was very positive about recovering.

“She was my role model,” she told Bernama.

Fawziah said the funeral prayers will be held at the Tun Abdul Aziz Mosque in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, and that her mother will be laid to rest at the Taman Medan Muslim cemetery after the midday prayers.

Fatimah leaves behind two daughters and two granddaughters.

Her granddaughter, Dr Dima Marlina Rafi, said in a Facebook post that Fatimah was not only a loving mother and grandmother but also a great figure in national education and women empowerment.

Fatimah was the first Malay woman to obtain a PhD in the field of education at the University of California in the US. She was also awarded the Fatimah Medal in conjunction with Women’s Day in 1988.

She had served in the education field from 1956 and held various positions, including as an education officer, teacher and college lecturer.

She retired as a professor in 1990 after serving at Universiti Malaya for 26 years.