Permaisuri of Johor Recalls Memories of Growing Up in Kuala Kangsar

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Permaisuri of Johor, Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah

shared brief memories of growing up from childhood to adulthood at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar, on the Facebook page Uncover Perak's Beauty. Her Majesty and the royal family resided at the palace while her late father, Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah II, ruled the state of Perak Darul Ridzuan from 1963 until his passing in early 1984. Although Her Majesty now lives in Johor Bahru, those memories remain fresh in her mind.

The following is the full post shared by Tuanku Zarith Sofiah on the Uncover Perak's Beauty Facebook group page: "My childhood memories of living at Istana Iskandariah are wonderful, happy ones. They are mixed with images of incredible natural beauty : the large, lush rain trees which lined the roads within the Istana, and the slow, brown waters of the Perak River. One of the things I remember most and which I cherish until today are of seeing the mountains across the Perak River. I could see them from my bedroom windows : when I left to go to school in the morning, I would see these majestic mountains shrouded in mist, and sometimes, the odd, little cloud."

Istana Iskandariah

They changed colours during the day : from a pale, silvery blue in the early morning to deeper blues and shades of green during the day. Towards dusk, when the skies were pink and orange, they would turn purple. I would never tire of gazing at them as I sat at my bedroom window. I live in Johor Bahru now, and, of course because it's a coastal city, it is flat. No mountains to be seen. I have a deep love for Johor Bahru but I think with much fondness tinged with a little nostalgia, and a little melancholy, whenever I think of those mountains far away in my little hometown of Kuala Kangsar. A part of me will always remain in Kuala Kangsar, with its lush greenery and those majestic mountains. Such beauty cannot be easily forgotten."

Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah, Permaisuri of Johor

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Translation in Malay: "My childhood memories of living at Istana Iskandariah are wonderful, happy ones. They are mixed with images of incredible natural beauty : the large, lush rain trees which lined the roads within the Istana, and the slow, brown waters of the Perak River. One of the things I remember most and which I cherish until today are of seeing the mountains across the Perak River. I could see them from my bedroom windows : when I left to go to school in the morning, I would see these majestic mountains shrouded in mist, and sometimes, the odd, little cloud. They changed colours during the day : from a pale, silvery blue in the early morning to deeper blues and shades of green during the day. Towards dusk, when the skies were pink and orange, they would turn purple. I would never tire of gazing at them as I sat at my bedroom window. I live in Johor Bahru now, and, of course because it's a coastal city, it is flat. No mountains to be seen. I have a deep love for Johor Bahru but I think with much fondness tinged with a little nostalgia, and a little melancholy, whenever I think of those mountains far away in my little hometown of Kuala Kangsar. A part of me will always remain in Kuala Kangsar, with its lush greenery and those majestic mountains. Such beauty cannot be easily forgotten."

Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah, Permaisuri of Johor

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*Note: Melancholy is a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

Tuanku Zarith Sofiah, Raja Halimahton Shahrin, Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, Raja Nazhatul Shima and Raja Jamil Arrifin

Raja Halimahton Shahrin and Tuanku Zarith Sofiah

Her Majesty recounted beautiful and happy memories of growing up at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar. The stunning view of the mountains and the flowing Perak River always brought her joy. Her elder sister, YAM Raja Nazhatul Shima, also shared that Istana Iskandariah at that time was not just a palace for official use, but a home that was always cheerful and full of joy. For

Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah

, a part of her soul will always remain in Kuala Kangsar, her hometown.