Tengku Ampuan Tua Intan Zaharah

Tengku Ampuan Tua Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Almarhum Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar (Jawi: تڠكو امڤوان توا تڠكو اينتن زهرة بنت المرحوم تڠكو سري ستيا راج تڠكو هيتم عمر; 13 April 1928 – 24 January 2015) was the Tengku Ampuan Tua (grand queen dowager) of Terengganu.^[1] She was formerly the Tengku Ampuan Besar (queen consort) of Terengganu from 1945 to 1979, the Tengku Ampuan (queen dowager) of Terengganu from 1979 to 1998 and Tengku Ampuan Tua (grand queen dowager) of Terengganu from 1998 until her death in 2015. She also served as the fourth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 1965 to 1970.

Intan Zaharah اينتن زهرة‎
Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
Tenure	21 September 1965 – 20 September 1970
Predecessor	Tengku Budriah
Successor	Tuanku Bahiyah
Tengku Ampuan Besar of Terengganu
Tenure	6 June 1949 – 20 September 1979
Successor	Tengku Ampuan Bariah
Tengku Ampuan of Terengganu
Tenure	20 September 1979 – 14 May 1998
Successor	Tengku Ampuan Bariah
Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu
Tenure	14 May 1998 – 24 January 2015
Born	(1928-04-13)13 April 1928 Singapore
Died	24 January 2015(2015-01-24) (aged 86) Pantai Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Burial	25 January 2015 Abidin Mosque, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
Spouse	Ismail Nasiruddin of Terengganu ​ ​ (m. 1944; died 1979)​
Names Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Tengku Hitam Omar Regnal name Tengku Ampuan Besar Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Almarhum Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar
Father	Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar bin Al-Marhum Tengku Muda Osman
Mother	Raja Zainab binti Al-Marhum Raja Alang
Religion	Sunni Islam

Early life

Tengku Intan was born in Singapore on 13 April 1928. Her father, Tengku Seri Setia Raja Terengganu Tengku Hitam Omar, was a member of the Singapore (Johor Bendahara Horeh) royal family, serving in the Terengganu State Civil Service as the State Secretary of Terengganu; he was exiled since the death of the last Sultan of Singapore, Alauddin Alam Shah, in 1897. Her mother was Raja Zainab binti Raja Alang (second wife of her father).

Tengku Intan received her education at the Malay School in Telok Kurau and Katong Convent, Singapore.

Royal life

Tengku Intan married Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III (then Tengku Paduka Raja of Terengganu) on 3 April 1944 as his second wife. She had no children with him.

On 5 November 1945 the Terengganu State Council of thirteen members announced the dismissal of Sultan Ali Shah and the appointment of Tengku Ismail as the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu. Tengku Ismail became known as Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah and was installed on 6 June 1949 at Istana Maziah, Kuala Terengganu.^[2]

Accordingly, Tengku Intan Zaharah became Tengku Ampuan Besar (Queen) of Terengganu. Tengku Intan served as Raja Permaisuri Agong during her husband's reign as the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong or King of Malaysia.

In 1979, upon her husband's death she was created Tengku Ampuan (Queen Dowager) of Terengganu. In 1998, on the death of her stepson, Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, she became Tengku Ampuan Tua (Grand Queen Dowager) of Terengganu.^[3]

Death

Tengku Ampuan Tua Tengku Intan Zaharah died on 24 January 2015 at 3:30 pm in Hospital Pantai, Kuala Lumpur due to pneumonia. She was 86 years old. Her body was brought back to Terengganu and was laid to rest beside her husband’s grave, Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah at the Royal Mausoleum near Abidin Mosque, Kuala Terengganu.

Awards and recognitions

National honours

Honours of Terengganu

• Member 1st Class of the Most Distinguished Family Order of Terengganu (DK)
• Member Grand Companion of the Most Revered Order of Sultan Mahmud I of Terengganu (SSMT)
• Knight Grand Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Crown of Terengganu (SMPT)

Honours of Malaysia

• Recipient of the Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN, 6 April 1966)^[4]

Foreign honours

• Ethiopia:
  • Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Queen of Sheba (21 May 1968)^[5]

• Germany:
  • Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (9 March 1967)

• Indonesia:
  • First Class of the Order of Mahaputera (16 March 1970)

• Iran:
  • Member 1st Class of the Order of the Pleiades (17 January 1968)

• Japan:
  • Dame Grand Cross (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown (19 February 1970)

• Philippines:
  • First Class of the Golden Heart Medal (9 February 1968)

• South Korea:
  • Dame of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa (7 February 1966)
  • Grand Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (7 February 1966)

Places named after her

Several places were named after her, including:

• Jalan Tengku Ampuan Intan Zaharah (Federal Route 3685) in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu
• SMK Tengku Intan Zaharah in Dungun, Terengganu
• SK Tengku Ampuan Intan in Kuala Berang, Terengganu
• SMK Tengku Ampuan Intan in Kuala Berang, Terengganu
• Tengku Ampuan Intan Zaharah Mosque in Dungun, Terengganu

See also

• Yang di-Pertuan Agong
• Raja Permaisuri Agong