By Nadia Zaifulizan
Tengku Puan Zanariah Binti Almarhum Tengku Ahmad (born 5th July 1940), stepmother to the 25th Sultan of Johor, DYMM Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, has passed away this morning. Tengku Puan Zanariah is the seventh child of the Tengku Panglima Raja, Tengku Long Ahmad Bin Tengku Abdul Jaafar and Che Puan Hajjah Fatima Binti Dato Abdul Hamid, of the Kelantan Royal Family. She married Sultan Iskandar in 1961 and after Sultan Iskandar’s succession to the throne as the Sultan of Johor, she served alongside him as the Sultanah of Johor from 1981 until 2010.
As someone who was educated both locally and internationally, Tengku Puan Zanariah was a known figure in the field of education, and community empowerment. During her years as the Sultanah of Johor and as the former third Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, she gave full commitment in many important occasions of the university and was a vocal advocate of life-long learning.
In 1982 she established the Majlis Wanita Negeri Johor (MAWAR), which not only was a significant assistance for many women of that time, but was also involved in several community-based activities and welfare contributions. Under MAWAR, several activities including organizing donations for those in need, and religious events in the community was able to flourish.
Tengku Puan Zanariah will be laid to rest in the Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum (Mukim DiRaja Bukit Mahmoodiah). Her work and contributions throughout the years will always be valuable to the people whose lives were touched by her spirit and actions.
Our deepest condolences to the Johor Royal Family and the family of Tengku Puan Zanariah Binti Almarhum Tengku Ahmad.
Al-Fatihah.