Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and Tuanku Aishah Rohani graced the Negri Sembilan state-level Deepavali 2024 Open House at the Dataran Tampin Arena Complex in November. — Bernamapic
IT is impossible to miss the beaming smiles of the Negri Sembilan royal family whenever they attend events with the rakyat, proving their genuine warmth towards the people.
Whether chatting with guests at a state-level Deepavali open house, watching a squash game with other fans, or greeting congregants at local mosques during Friday prayers, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, his consort Tuanku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud, and their two princes always make time to engage with people and enquire about their well-being.
Aside from official and ceremonial duties, this simple and genuine approach is true of Tuanku Muhriz’s unassuming manner.
Born in the royal town of Seri Menanti on Jan 14, 1948, the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan wholeheartedly embraced public life after his ascension to the throne on Oct 26, 2009.
Tuanku Muhriz leads by example, imbuing everything he does with openness, honesty, integrity, objectivity, and accountability.
The grandson of the country’s first Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Rahman Tuanku Muhammad, Tuanku Muhriz spent his primary and early secondary school years in Negri Sembilan where he attended the Tuanku Muhammad School in Kuala Pilah, Tunku Besar School in Tampin and King George V Secondary School in Seremban.
Tuanku Muhriz at the Negeri Sembilan Berselawat (prayers) ceremony held at the Seri Menanti public field on Jan 9. - Bernama
Tuanku Muhriz pursued his O- and A-Levels at England’s Aldenham School, a prestigious institution focused on offering students an all-rounded education.
While at Aldenham, the teenage prince nurtured his love for music and picked up the guitar.
Tuanku Muhriz also fronted The Prince and the Paupers, a band he formed with his schoolmates.
After completing his A-Levels, the Ruler furthered his education at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth (now Aberystwyth University) where he studied law and graduated with an LLB (Hons) in 1970.
Tuanku Muhriz returned to Malaysia upon graduation and joined the corporate world, charting a successful career with stints in banking, finance, and advertising.
While he is vocal and firm about issues affecting the rakyat, the Ruler embodies the importance of service by example – a trait he shares with his family.
The down-to-earth royal couple who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year, is blessed with three princes – Tunku Ali Redhauddin born in 1977, Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin born in 1982, and the youngest, Tunku Alif Hussein Saifuddin Al-Amin born in 1984.
Tuanku Muhriz, Tuanku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud and their sons Tunku Ali Redhauddin and Tunku Zain Al-Abidin attending the Sixth Tuanku Muhriz Chancellor Lecture at the Tun Abdul Razak Chancellor Hall, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in November. - Photo from Tunku Zain's Instagram
Sadly, Tunku Alif, who was born with special needs, breathed his last on Jan 15, 2016.
One of the first endeavours the royal family embarked upon after Tuanku Muhriz became the Yang di-Pertuan Besar was the establishment of Yayasan Munarah – a foundation in aid of less privileged members of society regardless of their race or religion.
Through their foundation, the royals have helped many bright but disadvantaged students fulfil their dreams and potential, with the cream of the crop even getting admitted into prestigious universities in the United Kingdom.
The family is close-knit and the princes always accompany their parents to official events, concerts, and even squash games.
The princes, who sit on the boards of various charities and corporations, lead very busy lives yet make time to accompany Tuanku Muhriz at events and lend their support to programmes for the rakyat.
Whether picking up trash during a clean-up campaign at the local wet market or comforting flood victims, the princes always do their part.
The Negri Sembilan state flags gracefully flutter alongside bright yellow posters adorned with the regal portrait of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, marking the celebration of Tuanku’s 77th birthday today. – Bernama
Just like the Ruler, Tuanku Aishah Rohani who serves as Chancellor of Universiti Islam Malaysia (USIM) shares a passion for education and self-improvement.
At USIM’s convocation last month, the Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negri Sembilan expressed hope that the knowledge, skills and values the graduates gained at university would supply them with what they needed to become individuals who were mature in behaviour and thinking.
“Whether you are a head of an organisation, community or family, I hope that you will remain enthusiastic and stand firm in shouldering your responsibilities as a leader,” Tuanku Aishah Rohani said.
In her address, Tuanku Aishah Rohani also urged USIM to always ensure learning methods and environment fulfilled the latest requirements, taking into account dynamic teaching and learning approaches through technology applications and artificial intelligence.
Tunku Ali, the older prince, read History and Political Science at Cambridge University and received his Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States.
Tunku Ali, the founding trustee of Teach for Malaysia, a non-profit organisation that aims to empower every child’s potential through quality education, also serves as Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Tuanku Muhriz visiting the art exhibition of renowned local architect Datuk Hajeedar Abdul Majid (right) at Rumah Tangsi in November. Tuanku Muhriz was accompanied by his consort Tuanku Aishah Rohani and their sons, Tunku Ali Redhauddin and Tunku Zain Al’-Abidin (second from right). The event was also attended by the president of the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), Adjunct Prof Adrianta Aziz (left). — Bernama
When he is not addressing graduates or officiating events, the sporty prince is a senior advisor to global equity firm TPG Capital. He is also an independent non-executive chairman of Malaysian satellite television and IPTV provider Astro and president of wildlife NGO WWF-Malaysia.
A big believer in educational equity, the prince ensures all students can achieve their potential regardless of their personal or socio-economic circumstances through his role as Chairman of Yayasan Munarah’s Board of Trustees.
Tunku Zain, the younger of the two, holds an honours degree in Sociology and Government and an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
He is also the Pro-Chancellor of both Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and UCSI University, a Royal Fellow of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), a think tank dedicated to promoting market-based solutions to public policy challenges.
At the think tank’s 9th Liberalism Conference in September, the IDEAS founding president expressed hope that the conference would be an important platform for critical discourse on complex issues such as those related to refugees and stateless people.
Royal patron of the Negri Sembilan Girl Guides Association, Tuanku Aishah Rohani (seated, centre), with members of the association at a high tea ceremony in Dewan Pekerti in November. The event was held in conjunction with the association’s 100th anniversary. Also present were Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (seated, third from left), president of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia, and Raja Datin Seri Salbiah Tengku Nujumuddin (seated, third from right), head of the Negri Sembilan Girl Guides Association of Malaysia. — Bernamapic
“We talk about liberal ideas in terms of freedom of movement, the freedom to live a life free of violence, freedom to live a life free of fear, and upholding human dignity regardless of status, nationality, citizenship, and origin.
“I believe these to be very much liberal ideas that we should all strive to uphold and are consistent with Malaysia’s Federal Constitution as well,” he said.
The prince sits on the board of various corporations and non-profits including IDEAS Autism Centre, which focuses on early intervention, care, and therapy for children with autism from low-income families.
An accomplished pianist, Tunku Zain is the patron of Euroasia Association of Performing Arts, which is dedicated to the education, development, and promotion of the performing arts in Malaysia, and the musical ensemble Hands Percussion.
The prince who plays squash and tennis continues to contribute to developing the state’s sporting talent and supporting next-generation champions through his duties as president of the Negri Sembilan Squash Association.
Tunku Zain is also a trustee of Yayasan Munarah, Yayasan Chow Kit and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. The articulate prince writes a regular column in this paper sharing his thoughts and insights on current issues and public policy.
