The death of Endon Mahmood sparked an outpouring of support and sympathy for husband and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose love for his wife inspired many Malaysians.

Their 40-year marriage was widely considered a model relationship.

"He will always give me a peck on the cheek before leaving home or at least call from downstairs that he is leaving. He will always phone when he is away and we always tell each other we love each other," Endon said in an interview with Malaysian media in 2004.

The first lady, whose mother was Japanese, had been living in the shadow of the disease since her twin sister Noraini died in 2003 from breast cancer.

She returned home on Oct 1 after more than three months in the United States where she spent the holy Muslim month of Ramadan with her family.

Born in 1940, Endon worked in the civil service until her retirement in 1976. She married in 1965 and has two children, Kamaluddin and Nori and four grandchildren.

Cancer awareness

Endon routinely declined to comment on her husband's long career, but offered her steadfast support during his political highs and lows.

"It can be very difficult and stressful so I think a politician must really love his job to want to go through all this," she said in the same 2004 interview.

"I believe he was fated to become the country's leader and as his wife I must give him all the support," she said.

The softly-spoken Endon devoted her time to social, community and charity work and was also a strong supporter of Malaysian arts and crafts. She also used her own illness to promote cancer awareness.

Endon spearheaded a campaign to revolutionise Malaysia's batik industry and recently launched another to revive the traditional songket fabric.

She was the victim of a rumour-mongering campaign earlier this year, with the spread of an SMS text message saying she had died. It provoked an outcry in the media and Malaysians slammed the message as heartless.

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