| Tunku Zanariah | |
|---|---|
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| Tenure | 1981–2010 |
| Spouse | Sultan Iskandar |
| Issue | |
| Tunku Mariam Tunku Norani Tunku Maimunah Ismailiah Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Tunku Muna Najiah Tunku Aminah Kalsom[1][2] |
|
| Father | Tengku Ahmad |
| Born | 5 July 1940 Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Malaysia |
Tunku Puan Zanariah Iskandar[3] (born Tengku Zanariah binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad on 5 July 1940)[4] is the second wife of Sultan Iskandar of Johor from their marriage in 1961 until his death in 2010. She served as Raja Permaisuri Agong between 1984 and 1989.
Her sister, Tengku Nora, was married to her father-in-law, Sultan Ismail.[5]
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Born on 5 July 1940, in Dusun Green Palace, Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Tengku Zanariah is the seventh child of HRH Tengku Panglima Raja Kelantan from among nine siblings. She comes from the Kelantan royal family.[4] Her father, the late Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad is a grandson of HRH Long Senik Mulut Merah (Sultan Muhammad II).
Tengku Zanariah was enrolled into Sultanah Zainab School, Kelantan an elementary school where she studied from 1946 to 1949. 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.[4]
While studying in England, Tengku Zanariah met Tunku Iskandar[6] (later Sultan Iskandar) who was also studying there. They later married in 1961, and became the mother of Tunku Iskandar's six children.[2][7]
Her husband became Sultan of Johor in 1981. Although she was known as Sultanah,[8] she was never formally crowned.[3]
In 1982, Tunku 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.[9] MAWAR also collected donations for distribution among flood victims in Johor as well as the less fortunate and the needy.
Her husband died in 2010 and was succeeded by her stepson Tunku Ibrahim Ismail. In 2011, a government circular issued removed the honorific 'Sultanah' from her name, and instructed that she be referred to instead as 'Tunku Puan Zanariah' or simply 'Tunku Zanariah'. The current royal court also does not recognize her as a former holder of the title Sultanah of Johor.[3]
Tunku 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. Tunku Zanariah also loves reading especially about culture, history and affairs of neighboring countries.
During her free time, Tunku Zanariah loves to exercise, ride horses and play golf or tennis. She is also good in water skiing. During her younger days, she climbed Gunung Ledang, the highest mountain in Johor. She is currently the only consort to have done so.[4]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tengku Afzan (Tengku Ampuan of Pahang) |
Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia) |
Succeeded by Tuanku Bainun (Raja Permaisuri of Perak) |