Tengku Zanariah
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| Her Royal Highness Tengku Zanariah | |
| Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia) and Sultanah of Johor | |
| Image:8 Sultanah Zanariah.gif Sultanah Zanariah binti Almarhum Tunku Ahmad |
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| Born | 5 July 1940 |
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| Birthplace | Pasir Mas, Kelantan |
| Consort to | Baginda Almutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail |
| Issue | Tunku Kamariah Tunku Zabedah Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Tunku Azizah Tunku Mariam Tunku Norani Tunku Maimunah Ismailiah Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Tunku Muna Najiah Tunku Aminah Kalsom |
| Father | Tengku Panglima Raja Kelantan |
Sultanah Zanariah binti Almarhum Tunku Ahmad or Tengku Zanariah binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad is the current Sultanah of Johor. She also served as Raja Permaisuri Agong between 1984 and 1989.
She is the second wife of Baginda Almutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail of Johor in 1961. A former Miss Malaysia, she became Sultanah of Johor upon her husband's accession in May 1981 but has never been crowned.
Her sister, Tengku Nora, was married to her father-in-law, Sultan Ismail and was Sultanah of Johor between 1977 and 1981.
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[edit] Early Life
Born on 5 July 1940, in Dusun Green, Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Sultanah Zanariah is the seventh child of HRH Tengku Panglima Raja Kelantan from among nine siblings. She comes from the Kelantan royal family.
Alongside palace upbringing, she began her formal education in 1946 at Sultanah Zainab School in Kelantan. Between 1950 and 1952 she studied at the Convent Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur before returning to Kelantan where she continued her studies at Sultan Ibrahim School, Pasir Mas. With the encouragement of her father and her own desire to equip herself for the future, she left for England in 1954 to further her studies at the Upper Chime School, Isle of Wight.
It was in England that she met Sultan Iskandar who was also studying there.
[edit] Life as Queen
Although busy performing her duties as a housewife and a mother, Sultanah Zanariah did not miss the opportunity of accompanying the Sultan for official functions in the country and abroad.
As the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Sultanah Zanariah was fully aware of her responsibilities towards the welfare of women especially in Johor. Thus, out of her own initiative, Sultanah Zanariah sponsored and established the Majlis Wanita Negeri Johor or MAWAR (the Women's Council of Johor), which organizes various religious activities such as the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday at its headquarters at Sungai Cat Road in Johor Bahru. MAWAR also collected donations for distribution among flood victims in Johor as well as the less fortunate and the needy.
[edit] Hobbies and Interests
Being a woman, Sultanah Zanariah has a passion for the arts. She also loves cooking and takes great care in her daily chores. She pays special attention to the selection and arrangement of decorations in the palace particularly in preparation for official dinners.
During her free time, Sultanah Zanariah loves to exercise, ride horses and play golf or tennis. She is also good in water skiing. She is also the first Sultanah of Johor who made history when she climbed Gunung Ledang, the highest mountain in Johor.
Sultanah Zanariah also loves reading especially about culture, history and affairs of neighboring countries.
