Kind, gentle queen

SERI Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, who was born on Dec 7, 1973, received her early education at SRJK St Nicholas Convent and later SM St Nicholas Convent, both in Alor Star. 

Former SM St Nicholas Convent principal Mak Sooi Jee, 63, remembers her ex-student as a quiet person who was active in Girl Guides. 

“Although she was quiet, she was always respectful of others,” Mak said in an interview last year. 

Another teacher Che Mah Abdul Hamid, 56, said Tuanku Nur Zahirah loves camping and taking part in strenuous activities such as jungle trekking.  

“I remember taking her and the school’s Girl Guides for camping near Changloon,” she said. 

Genuine concern: Tuanku Nur Zahirah giving moral support to a young patientduring her visit to Alor Star Hospital last month. — Bernama

Tuanku Nur Zahirah, who was known before as Cik Puan Sri Rozita Adil Bakeri, married Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in 1996 in Kuala Terengganu. 

She was accorded the title Permaisuri Nur Zahirah on July 12, 1998, after Tuanku Mizan was proclaimed the Sultan of Terengganu. 

The Queen loves interior decoration and does much of the interior design at the palace. She loves to cook especially dishes that are the favourites of her husband and family. 

Tuanku Nur Zahirah also loves to read books especially concerning intelligence quotient and emotional quotient. 

The Queen is also interested in martial arts as the activity keeps a person body fit and trim. She spends her free time by taking part in exercises such as aerobics. 

She also likes strenuous sports such as endurance horse riding which is the favourite of the King. 

The Queen is her husband’s number one supporter when he takes part in such races locally or overseas.  

She is active in voluntary and charitable bodies including serving as patron of the Terengganu Orphaned Children Welfare Home (Perkaya), Terengganu Hospice and Terengganu Girl Guides Association. 

Tuanku Nur Zahirah was conferred with an honorary doctorate in management at a special convocation of Kolej Universiti Sains and Teknologi (renamed Universiti Malaysia Terengganu) in December last year. 

She received the degree from Tuanku Mizan, who is the university’s chancellor. 

In her speech at the event, she urged the people of Terengganu to take the initiative to emulate the excellent accomplishments of past Muslim scholars in fields of knowledge, especially in science and technology.