Tuanku Bainun

Perak Royal Family
HRH Sultan Dr. Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Sultan HRH Tuanku Zara Salim, Raja Permaisuri HH Raja Azlan Muzzaffar Shah, Raja Kechil Besar HH Raja Nazira Safya HH Raja Jaafar bin Almarhum Raja Muda Musa, Raja Muda HH Raja Nor Mahani, Raja Puan Besar Raja Shah Azman Raja Nor Azwina HH Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, Raja Di-Hilir HH Tunku Soraya, Raja Puan Muda Raja Nabil Imran Raja Idris Shah Raja Siffuddin Raja Sarina Intan Bahiyah Raja Safia Azizah HH Raja Ahmad Nazim Azlan Shah, Raja Kechil Sulong Azlan Shah's family HRH Tuanku Bainun, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah's widow HH Raja Azureen The Hon. Muhammad Saleh The Hon. Latiff Mohd Saleh The Hon. Nurlin Mohd Saleh The Hon. Azlin Mohd Saleh The Hon. Azim Mohd Saleh Noraini Jane, Raja Ashman Shah's widow HH Raja Eminah Alliyah HH Raja Bainunnisa Safia HH Raja Eleena The Hon. Ismail Farouk The Hon. Omar Ismail Farouk The Hon. Imran Ismail Farouk The Hon. Ashman Ismail Farouk The Hon. Alia Ismail Farouk The Hon. Sofia Ismail Farouk HH Raja Yong Sofia HH Tunku Kamil HH Tunku Aznal Shahabudin of Kedah HH Tunku Amira Shahabudin of Kedah HH Tunku Maisara Shahabudin of Kedah

Tuanku Bainun (Bainun binti Mohd Ali; born 7 November 1933) is the former Raja Permaisuri of Perak the (Queen) Malaysian state of Perak. She was also the ninth Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia, the first commoner to be installed as Queen. She is the widow of Sultan Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah and the mother of the incumbent Sultan Nazrin Shah. She is now styled as Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun.

Background

Tuanku Bainun was born on the 7th of November 1933 in Penang, Malaysia and received her early education at the St. George’s Girls School, Penang. She was selected to further her studies at the prestigious Teacher’s Training College, Kirkby, England from 1952 to 1954.

A year after returning from England, she married Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah of Perak in 1955. The Sultan was then a Magistrate in Kuala Lumpur, while Tuanku Bainun was teaching at her former school. She has taught in various schools in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Raub, Taiping and Kuantan.

Queen consort

Upon her husband's accession to the Perak throne in 1984, she became Raja Permaisuri of Perak with the title of Tuanku. In Perak, Queens of royal blood are known as Raja Perempuan, while the title of Raja Permaisuri was reserved for commoner consorts. Her Royal Highness was officially proclaimed the Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan on February 19, 1988 in a historic ceremony at Istana Kinta in Ipoh.

Sultan Azlan Shah was selected as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong and during the Oath Taking and Signing Ceremony on April 26, 1989, Tuanku Bainun was proclaimed Raja Permaisuri Agong. Tuanku Bainun is the first commoner ever to become Queen of Malaysia. Interestingly she was crowned Raja Permaisuri Agong on a new throne made of silver that replaced the ancient wooden throne used by Malaysia's eight previous Queens of royal blood, adding another first to her crown. They held these titles until the end of Azlan Shah's term on April 25, 1994.

She ceased to be Raja Permaisuri on May 28, 2014, after her husband died. She was successed a month later by her daughter in-law, Tuanku Zara Salim.

Royal family

The royal couple had five children, two princes and three princesses. The eldest is Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah, the current Sultan of Perak. The others are Raja Dato’ Seri Azureen Binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah, Raja Dato’ Seri Ashman Shah Ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah, Raja Dato' Seri Eleena Binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah and Raja Dato' Seri Yong Sofia Binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah.^[1]

Titles and styles

3 February 1984 - 25 April 1989 : Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan Tuanku Bainun

26 April 1989 - 25 April 1994 : Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Bainun

26 April 1994 - 28 May 2014 : Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan Tuanku Bainun

29 May 2014 - current : Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun binti Mohd Ali

Honours

She was awarded:^[2]

Honours of Perak

•  Perak :
  • Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK) ^[3]
  • Member First Class of the Azlanii Royal Family Order (DKA I, 2010) ^[4]

Honours of Malaysia

•  Malaysia :
  • Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN) ^[5]
•  Selangor :
  • First Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK I, 11.12.2005)

Foreign Honours

•  Japan : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown (30.9.1991)
•  Thailand : Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao (9.1990)

See also

• Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
• Raja Permaisuri Agong

References