Tengku Ampuan Tua Intan Zaharah


Tengku Ampuan Tua Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Almarhum Tengku Seri Setia Raja Tengku Hitam Omar was the Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu. She was formerly the Tengku Ampuan Besar of Terengganu from 1945 to 1979, the Tengku Ampuan of Terengganu from 1979 to 1998 and Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu from 1998 until her death in 2015. She also served as the fourth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 1965 to 1970.

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 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.
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 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.
Accordingly, Tengku Intan Zaharah became Tengku Ampuan Besar 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 of Terengganu. In 1998, on the death of her stepson, Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, she became Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu.

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

Honours of Malaysia

Foreign honours

Places named after her

Several places were named after her, including: