Raja Zarith Sofiah giving an ang pau to a recipient during a Chinese New Year celebration on Feb 7. The woman was among 100 recipients from the B40 group. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
HER Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia is loved by the people for her warmth and empathy, and is well known for her commitment to education, charity and the well-being of her people.
Born at Batu Gajah Hospital in Perak on Aug 14, 1959, Her Majesty is the second daughter and the third child of the late Sultan of Perak, Almarhum Paduka Seri Sultan Idris Shah II, and Almarhumah Raja Perempuan Muzwin Almarhum Raja Ariff Shah.
The Queen received her early education in Kuala Kangsar, at Sekolah Kebangsaan Datin Khadijah and later at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Perempuan Kalsom.
Her Majesty continued her secondary education at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, a top-ranked all-girls’ boarding school in England, and is a University of Oxford alumnus. There, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies from Sommerville College and graduated in 1983.
Raja Zarith Sofiah arriving for the Johor Green Development Masterplan launch and the establishment of the Johor Sustainability Centre held in November 2023 in conjunction with Asia Pacific Climate Week 2023.
The Queen is fluent in multiple languages, including Mandarin, French and Italian.
Apart from being a polyglot, Her Majesty is also a prolific writer and has authored four children’s books.
Inheriting her father’s passion and talent for the arts, Raja Zarith Sofiah’s illustrations were used in the Children’s Drawing Festival souvenir book.
Many of Her Majesty’s creative work have also gone on display in art exhibitions, including the Yayasan Warisan Johor Art Gallery Exhibition in 2003, and in 2004 during a Maybank art exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, which paid tribute to three generations of Johor artists.
Raja Zarith Sofiah was the royal guest of honour at the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarships and Awards Ceremony 2023.
Raja Zarith Sofiah wed Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on Sept 22, 1982, when His Majesty was the Tunku Mahkota of Johor. They are blessed with six children: Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail; Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah; Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar; Tunku Laksamana Johor Tunku Abdul Jalil; Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Putera Johor
Tunku Abu Bakar. Tunku Abdul Jalil passed away in 2015 due to liver cancer.
Her Majesty was bestowed with the title Permaisuri of Johor following Sultan Ibrahim’s ascension to the throne on March 23, 2015.
Raja Zarith Sofiah’s role extends beyond her ceremonial duties. She is a dedicated patron of numerous charitable organisations and also a strong advocate for education.
Known for her deep involvement in charity work, Her Majesty founded Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor, an organisation supporting educational and social welfare initiatives in 2012.
Raja Zarith Sofiah is also the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Her Majesty inspecting the preparations for the installation ceremony. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
Her Majesty’s continued and varied efforts to enhance the quality of life within the community were also internationally acknowledged, being awarded an honorary degree by the University of Nottingham in 2017.
Raja Zarith Sofiah is no stranger to the people, especially in Johor. Her Majesty once graced the home of an elderly couple in Kampung Api Api in Pontian, where they presented the Queen with some vegetables during the surprise visit.
More recently, Raja Zarith Sofiah paid a visit to Kpl Mohd Hasif Roslan, who was injured in an attack on the Ulu Tiram police station in May, and presented him with a personal donation from the King and herself.
The Queen is also actively involved in advocating for health. She serves as the Royal Adviser to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and is chairman of the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Foundation.
The organisation was inspired by her late son, Almarhum Tunku Abdul Jalil, to promote the advancement of research, public awareness, diagnoses and treatment of cancer.
Raja Zarith Sofiah visiting Kpl Mohd Hasif Roslan (left), a victim of the Ulu Tiram police station attack, at Hospital Sultan Ismail in May. Also present is Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (fifth from right). — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
Among Her Majesty’s other welfare-related initiatives are the establishment of the “Because We Care” Chancellor’s Fund to look into the welfare Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students from the B40 group and working with the Johor Women’s League (Jewel) to launch the “TinDak” campaign in 2017, focusing on the protection of children from abuse.
Raja Zarith Sofiah also collaborates with the Johor Corporation to upgrade Sultanah Aminah Hospital’s haematology ward.
Her Majesty is the brains behind the Bangsa Johor Bahagia programme, which began in 2019 to get people in urban poor communities involved in various activities and improve their quality of life while also preventing social ills.
Loh Chai Hwee, 80, presenting some egg plants from his garden as gratitude to Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah Queen of Malaysia when she visited him and his wife Tey Be Yok, 76, at their home in Pontian
On the world stage, Raja Zarith Sofiah has been invited to deliver speeches and keynote addresses at academic conferences. In her involvement in forums, Her Majesty continues to promote peace, unity and multiculturalism.
In May last year, Her Majesty delivered a keynote address at the OCIS-UTM Roundtable Conference themed Imagining the Future: Climate Change, Health and Food Security in Muslim Societies.
Her Majesty also spoke at the Third Sultan Qaboos Award for Voluntary Work in Oman in 2013, and at the University of Oxford in 2012 on the topic We Are Like You: What Malaysian Muslims Have in Common With Other Communities Around the World.
