Sultan Sharafuddin, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin and their pet cat Snowy wishing Malaysians Gong Xi Fa Chai. — Picture courtesy of Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
TENGKU Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin has become the state’s fashion icon with her elegant and demure sense of style. When attending official functions, she is usually dressed in well-cut modern baju kurung in varying pastel hues.
When conveying the yearly royal Deepavali greeting recently with Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the Tengku Permaisuri was dressed in a resplendent silk saree in the South Indian style complete with accessories.
And when conveying the Chinese New Year greeting earlier in the year, she was dressed in a beautiful cheongsam befitting the occasion.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin donning traditional attire bearing the telepuk design. — Picture courtesy of Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
This endeared her to the state’s Indian and Chinese communities, which admired how pretty she looked and how well she carried herself in the traditional attire.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin is also Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor and in her royal address during the establishment’s convocation recently, she said the institution had the ability to become a globally renowned university in 2025.
“It has been proven that in spite of the world experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic, UiTM is on the right track to become a renowned global university,” Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin had said.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin added that she was committed to supporting UiTM in achieving its aspiration to become globally renowned.
The Tengku Permaisuri had also said that graduates must play an intellectual role in ensuring that the country maintained its sovereignty by avoiding disunity amongst the people.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin had said that if Malaysians did not stay united, the country would become vulnerable to threats from elements that wanted to see the nation fall.
Many who know Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin describe her as a very down-to-earth person. In a previous interview, one of her close friends Miza Eusni Muhamed, who was Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin’s colleague during her time as a newscaster at RTM, said the latter was a helpful person.
“When I started working at RTM, the Tengku Permaisuri showed me the ropes and was very supportive.
“There were times when I was stressed and made some mistakes. Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin would always console me and show me how to handle the situation,’’ Miza Eusni had said.
The Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor presenting an award to a graduate at a UiTM convocation ceremony in Shah Alam. — Bernama
Another friend, Datin Zila Abdul Malek, had said, also in a previous interview, that Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin gets upset when she sees homeless cats roaming around.
“Even before she became the Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, she would get very upset whenever we went to food stalls and saw cats roaming around aimlessly,’’ Zila had recalled.
She had said Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin would ask the stall owners if the cats had been fed and advise them on how they could get the felines neutered.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin also does not like buying pets as she strongly believes in adopting rescued animals, added Zila.
As an animal lover, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin has established a mini cat sanctuary, aptly named Casa De Cat, in Shah Alam to house rescued street cats.
Born Norashikin Abdul Rahman on June 4, 1971, at a military hospital in Terendak Camp, Melaka, she was a Malaysia Airlines flight attendant and then a newsreader with RTM before becoming Sultan Sharafuddin’s consort.
Sultan Sharafuddin and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin dressed in traditional attire to wish Malaysians a happy Deepavali celebration. — Bernama
Sultan Sharafuddin and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin got married on Aug 31, 2016, at Istana Alam Shah in Klang.
She was appointed as the Tengku Permaisuri Selangor by Sultan Sharafuddin the following month.
During her tenure as a newscaster, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin won the Seri Angkasa Award’s Best TV News Presenter title in 2001 and 2005.
In 2017, Universiti Putra Malaysia named a newly discovered species of orchid Vanilla Norashikiniana after Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.
