KUALA LUMPUR: A passionate art enthusiast and prolific writer, the Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, is known for her charitable works.
Born on Aug 14, 1959, at Batu Gajah Hospital in Perak, she once had dedicated columns called "On Common Ground" for the New Straits Times and "Mind Matters" for The Star.
The second daughter and the third child of the late Sultan of Perak, Paduka Seri Sultan Idris Shah II, and the late Raja Perempuan Perak, Muzwin Almarhum Raja Dato' Sri Ariff Shah, has also authored four children's books.
Raja Zarith Sofiah received her early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Datin Khadijah and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Perempuan Kalsom in Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
In 1972, she continued her studies at Cheltenham Ladies' College in England before pursuing her Bachelor's degree at Somerville College, University of Oxford, in 1979.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies in 1983.
The Queen of Johor inherited her father's passion and talent for arts, particularly painting. She has participated in many art exhibitions, including the Yayasan Warisan Johor Art Gallery Exhibition in 2003 and an art exhibition by Maybank in Kuala Lumpur that paid tribute to three generations of Johor artists in 2004.
Raja Zarith Sofiah married the Sultan of Johor in 1982 and had six children.
She was bestowed with the title of Permaisuri Johor in conjunction with the Coronation Ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim on March 23, 2015.
As the Queen of Johor, she is deeply involved in charitable organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
She serves as the Royal Advisor to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, the Chairperson of the Raja Zarith Sofiah State of Johor Foundation, and the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Foundation.
She is also the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia chancellor.
Raja Zarith Sofiah holds a deep concern for the well-being of her people, which prompted her to launch the "Bangsa Johor Bahagia" Programme, specifically to assist the B40 group, on March 17, 2019.
She also initiated the "Because We Care" Chancellor's Fund to ensure the welfare of B40 students at UTM.
Raja Zarith Sofiah collaborates closely with the Johor Corporation to improve facilities at the Hematology Ward of Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru to benefit patients' caregivers.
She launched the "TinDak" campaign under the auspices of the Johor Women's League (JEWEL) in May 2017 to raise awareness and advocate for protecting children from abuse and sexual harassment.
Her continued and varied efforts to enhance the quality of life within the community were internationally acknowledged when she received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham in 2017.
Occasionally, she will be invited to deliver keynote speeches at domestic and international academic conferences.
Most recently, she delivered a keynote address at the OCIS-UTM Roundtable Conference themed "Imagining the Future: Climate Change, Health, and Food Security in Muslim Societies", organised by UTM and the Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies (OCIS) in May this year.