Raja Zarith Sofiah, From Perak Princess to Permaisuri of Johor
The state of Perak has indeed produced many famous individuals in Malaysia and abroad, whether in matters related to politics, economics, and more.
This time, we will touch on the remarkable story of a princess from Perak who is also the daughter of Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Sultan Idris Shah II, who became the Permaisuri of Johor.
Introduction to Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah
She is none other than Her Majesty Permaisuri Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah binti the late Sultan Idris Iskandar Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah II Afifullah.
Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah, who was born on August 14, 1959, at Batu Gajah Hospital, Perak, is the Permaisuri of Johor Darul Takzim and the wife of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, the 5th Sultan of Johor.
She does not hold the title of Sultanah of Johor; instead, she uses a title used for the first time in the history of the Johor Sultanate, which is "Permaisuri of Johor," during the Coronation Ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim Ismail on March 23, 2015.
Daughter of the 33rd Sultan of Perak
She is the second daughter of the 33rd Sultan of Perak, Sultan Idris Shah Ibni the late Sultan Iskandar Shah Kadasallah, and Raja Perempuan Perak Raja Perempuan Muzwin Binti the late Raja Ariff Shah.
Receiving her early education at Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Datin Khadijah in Kuala Kangsar until Year Six in 1971, she continued her secondary education at Sekolah Raja Perempuan Kelsom, Kuala Kangsar.
She only attended secondary school in Perak for a few months because in September 1972, she was sent to England to study at Cheltenham Ladies' College until the sixth form.
After finishing school, she continued her studies at Davies's College in 1977, and in 1978, she was accepted into Somerville College at the University of Oxford after passing the Oxford Entrance Examination.
In June 1983, at the age of 24, she completed her degree at the University of Oxford, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies. She subsequently pursued a Master's degree and obtained a Master of Arts in 1986.
Married to the Prince of Johor
She married the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni the late Sultan Iskandar, who was then the Tunku Mahkota of Johor. Their wedding ceremony was held on September 22, 1982, when she was 23 years old.
The marriage between the prince of the Sultan of Johor and the princess of the Sultan of Perak was blessed with 6 children, 5 sons and one daughter. Her eldest son, Tunku Ismail, is now the Tunku Mahkota of Johor.
Her other children are Tunku Aminah, Tunku Idris, Tunku Abdul Jalil, Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Tunku Abu Bakar. Throughout her marriage to Sultan Ibrahim, she was granted the title of Her Highness the Wife of the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah.
Permaisuri of Johor
Following the passing of the late Sultan Iskandar Ibni the late Sultan Ismail in January 2010, Tuanku Zarith Sofiah's husband was proclaimed the 25th Sultan of Johor with the title of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni the late Sultan Iskandar.
Tuanku Zarith Sofiah was given the title of Her Majesty the Wife of the Sultan of Johor, Tuanku Zarith Sofiah Idris. She was not given the title of Sultanah of Johor, as is usually given to the wives of the Sultans of Johor.
She was later granted the title of Permaisuri of Johor by Sultan Ibrahim.
Tuanku Zarith Sofiah is an intelligent princess who inherited artistic talent from her late father, Sultan Idris Shah. The late Sultan Idris was a talented writer who even wrote several song lyrics, including "Cempaka Sari" sung by the late Tan Sri S.M. Salim, "Kalau Rindu" sung by the late Toh Puan Setia Dato' Rafeah Buang, and others.
Tuanku Zarith Sofiah has a talent for painting, and her artwork has been featured in the souvenir book of the Children's Painting Festival.
Close to the Hearts of the People
As a princess who is very close to the hearts of the people, she is known to be active in matters related to charity, whether in Perak, Johor, or Malaysia.
She holds various positions, including being the Patron of the Johor Spastic Children's Association, the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association, and also the Chairperson of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.
On November 28, 2012, she graciously launched the Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor Foundation. This foundation aims to raise funds to organize various educational programs and disseminate Islamic learning methods.
Conclusion
Tuanku Zarith Sofiah is truly a woman with a strong spirit and high aspirations to see the people of Malaysia in a better condition.
She is heavily involved in organizing forums and collaborating with experts from abroad to discuss the direction of the country's education.
She is also the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), succeeding her mother-in-law, YAM Tunku Puan Zanariah. Additionally, she is a Fellow of the Faculty of Language and Linguistics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah is also the Royal Patron of the Oxford University Club in Malaysia. Not only in the field of education, but she is also active in the field of writing.
Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofiah's written works include children's storybooks and articles in The Star newspaper in the "Mind Matters" column.
