Pay it forward, says Permaisuri of Johor

KUALA LUMPUR: Those privileged enough to live a life of comfort and luxury must give back to society, says the Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah.

The value of giving back to society is a legacy that must be passed from one generation to the next, said Raja Zarith Sofiah in her royal keynote address at the 28th Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Lecture Series organised by the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) at a hotel here on Wednesday (Sept 5).

Serving society was a legacy that Raja Zarith Sofiah says she inherited from watching her own parents, and one that she continues to observe throughout her marriage and as a mother of six.

Growing up, she saw how her parents Sultan Idris Shah of Perak and Raja Perempuan Raja Muzwin Raja Ariff Shah attended official functions and charitable events, and also host guests from all walks of life at their home.

When she married the Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Raja Zarith Sofiah said her in-laws’ sense of responsibility and duty in contributing to society as the Sultan and Sultanah of Johor, were familiar to her.

“My husband and I visited many kampungs and towns. Once, we even found ourselves in a padi field, wielding a very sharp scythe to cut off a sheath of padi.

“On my own, I visited old folks’ homes, welfare homes, schools, and events organised by NGOs,” said Raja Zarith Sofiah on how she first started out in charity work.

Their involvement with the people of Johor continues until today, with Raja Zarith Sofiah and the Sultan having started and maintaining a raft of foundations and charitable bodies.

Raja Zarith Sofiah’s current community activities include being patron of the Johor Cerebral Palsy Association and Malaysian English Language Teachers Association, and also Royal Adviser to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.

She shared an anecdote of how during the Johor floods in December 2006 to January 2007, she and the Sultan travelled across the state to visit families affected by the catastrophe.

“I had been in and out of homes for two weeks. After that, I went home and couldn’t stop crying.

“One of my friends told me that I should stop and just stay home, then Jalil took over my work,” said Raja Zarith Sofiah, referring to her son Almarhum Tunku Abdul Jalil, who passed away of liver cancer in December 2015.

In his memory, the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Centre (TLJCC) was launched in February this year while on Aug 6, 2016, the Johor royal family launched the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Foundation dedicated to helping cancer patients in need of financial aid.

Raja Zarith Sofiah said she and her family still continued the tradition of visiting people at their homes.

“Visiting families at their homes rather than a public venue, gives my family and myself a chance to see how they live.

“It is also a good reminder to all of us to not take the luxury that we live in for granted,” she said, adding that she had visited homes with only earth-covered floors and roofs patched with zinc and cardboard.

“I feel that the things that I have seen, smelt, touched, I must bring back with me as a constant reminder of the privileged life that my family and I are blessed with,” she said.

Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is also the Chancellor of University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), started the Sembang Santai programme this year for students from the B40 income bracket.

Through this programme, she engages with a small group of fewer than 10 students per session, listening to their concerns and motivating them to succeed and fulfil their dreams.

The 28th TAR Lecture Series event also saw Raja Zarith Sofiah conferring the prestigious title of MIM Court of Emeritus Fellows to four of its members.