Tengku Ampuan Tua Intan Zaharah
Tengku Ampuan Tua Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Almarhum Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar (Jawi: تڠكو امڤوان توا تڠكو اينتن زاهرح بنت المرحوم تڠكو هيتم عمر; 13 April 1928 – 24 January 2015) was the Tengku Ampuan Tua (Grand Dowager Queen) of Terengganu.[1] She was formerly the Tengku Ampuan Besar (Queen) of Terengganu from 1945 to 1979 and the Tengku Ampuan (Dowager Queen) of Terengganu from 1979 to 1998. She also served as the fourth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 1965 to 1970.
| Intan Zaharah | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia | |||||||||
| Tenure | 21 September 1965 – 20 September 1970 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Tengku Budriah | ||||||||
| Successor | Tuanku Bahiyah | ||||||||
| Tengku Ampuan Besar of Terengganu | |||||||||
| Tenure | 6 June 1949 – 20 September 1979 | ||||||||
| Successor | Tengku Ampuan Bariah | ||||||||
| Tengku Ampuan of Terengganu | |||||||||
| Tenure | 20 September 1979 – 14 May 1998 | ||||||||
| Successor | Tengku Ampuan Bariah | ||||||||
| Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu | |||||||||
| Tenure | 14 May 1998 - 24 January 2015 | ||||||||
| Born | 13 April 1928 Singapore | ||||||||
| Died | 24 January 2015 (aged 86) Pantai Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||
| Burial | 25 January 2015 | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Father | Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar bin Al-Marhum Tengku Muda Osman | ||||||||
| Mother | Raja Zainab binti Al-Marhum Raja Alang | ||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||
Early life
Tengku Intan was born in Singapore on 13 April 1928. Her father, Tengku Seri Setia Raja Terengganu Tengku Hitam Omar, was a member of the Singapore (Johor Bendahara Horeh) royal family, serving in the Terengganu State Civil Service as the State Secretary of Terengganu; he was exiled since the death of the last Sultan of Singapore, Alauddin Alam Shah, in 1897. Her mother was Raja Zainab binti Raja Alang (second wife of her father).
Tengku Intan received her education at the Malay School in Telok Kurau and Katong Convent, Singapore.
Royal Life
Tengku Intan married Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III (then Tengku Paduka Raja of Terengganu) on 3 April 1944 as his second wife. She had no children with him.
On 5 November 1945 the Terengganu State Council of thirteen members announced the dismissal of Sultan Ali Shah and the appointment of Tengku Ismail as the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu. Tengku Ismail became known as Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah and was installed on 6 June 1949 at Istana Maziah, Kuala Terengganu.[2]
Accordingly, Tengku Intan Zaharah became Tengku Ampuan Besar (Queen) of Terengganu. Tengku Intan served as Raja Permaisuri Agong during her husband's reign as the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong or King of Malaysia.
In 1979, upon her husband's death she was created Tengku Ampuan (Dowager Queen) of Terengganu. In 1998, on the death of her stepson, Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, she became Tengku Ampuan Tua (Grand Dowager Queen) of Terengganu.[3]
Death
Tengku Intan died on 24 January 2015 at 3:30 pm in Hospital Pantai, Kuala Lumpur due to pneumonia. She was 86 years old. Her body was brought back to Terengganu and was laid to rest beside her husband grave, Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah at the Royal Mausoleum near Abidin Mosque, Kuala Terengganu.
Awards and recognitions
National honours
- Member 1st Class [DK] of the Most Distinguished Family Order of Terengganu.
- Member Grand Companion [SSMT] of the Most Revered Order of Sultan Mahmud I of Terengganu.
- Knight Grand Commander [SMPT] of the Most Distinguished Order of the Crown of Terengganu.
- Member [DMN] of the Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm on 4 April 1966.
Foreign honours
- Dame of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa by the President of the Republic of Korea Park Chung-hee on 7 February 1966.
- Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Queen of Sheba by the Emperor Haile Selassie on 21 May 1968.[4]
- Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by the President of Germany Heinrich Lübke on 9 March 1967.
- Golden Heart Medal 1st Class by the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos on 9 January 1968.
- Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown by the Emperor Hirohito on 19 February 1970.
- Member 1st Class of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit by the President of the Republic of Korea Park Chung-hee on 7 February 1966.
- Member 1st Class of the Order of the Pleiades by the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on 17 January 1968.
- Member 1st Class of the Order of Mahaputera by the President of Indonesia Suharto on 16 March 1970.
Places named after her
Several places were named after her, including:
- Jalan Tengku Ampuan Intan Zaharah (Federal Route
- SMK Tengku Intan Zaharah in Dungun, Terengganu
- SK Tengku Ampuan Intan in Kuala Berang, Terengganu
- SMK Tengku Ampuan Intan in Kuala Berang, Terengganu
- Tengku Ampuan Intan Zaharah Mosque in Dungun, Terengganu
References
- Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) Op Cit
- Buyong Adil Op Cit p205
- Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) Op Cit
- Angelfire
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tengku Budriah (Raja Perempuan of Perlis) |
Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia) |
Succeeded by Tuanku Bahiyah (Sultanah of Kedah) |