The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, has been a devoted champion of local arts and culture for years.
Her commitment, which extends well beyond ceremonial duty, reflects a deep dedication to preserving the state’s – and the country’s – cultural legacy.
In an exclusive interview with FMT, the royal consort of the Sultan of Pahang called for everyone to take pride in the nation’s heritage and play an active role in preserving and promoting it.
“You need to make it your interest. Learn about everything on heritage. That’s why we’re having this festival today, with activities like Orang Asli dances. I want people to know that this is all part of our heritage,” she said.
Tunku Azizah is the driving force behind the Pahang Heritage Festival, a week-long celebration of arts, culture and traditional crafts that took place at the Tunku Azizah Royal Craft Village in Pekan, Pahang from Sept 1-7.
The event, which showcased vibrant performances, engaging workshops, and bustling craft stalls, was a resounding success. Highlights included the popular Sarawak Pavilion, an East Coast gastronomy and culinary heritage exhibition, and workshops conducted by master weavers from Turkey.
“I didn’t expect to see so many people,” she added. “To see visitors come from KL and beyond – it shows that Malaysians are interested to learn about their heritage.”
The Tengku Ampuan has long been an advocate for the preservation and promotion of Pahang’s rich traditions. One of her most significant contributions is the establishment of the Tenun Pahang Diraja programme, which equips prison inmates with weaving skills.
The programme, she explained, had come about in 2018 during the launch of two cookbooks to raise funds for the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation.
“We’d decided we would all wear Tenun Pahang Diraja (a woven silk fabric) for the launch of the books. So I went to Pekan, and I sat down with weavers to observe them, and I fell in love with Tenun.”
Tunku Azizah shared that she also met two inmates at Penjara Penor who were learning to weave, which inspired her to start the programme.
Her efforts have clearly bore fruit: what began in a small corner occupied by the pair has since grown to encompass four entire blocks of the prison.
“Whenever I visit the prisons, my heart goes a bit ‘bengkak’, as the Malays say,” Tunku Azizah expressed.
“The moment I enter the workshop, they will all be there, standing in a row, and they will welcome me at the top of their voices: ‘Assalamualaikum Tengku Ampuan’, or ‘Permaisuri’ – whatever they want to call me. You feel so much love.”
In fact, at the recent Tunku Azizah Cup – a competition held to discover and showcase talent in the art of Tenun Pahang Diraja – some 17 out of 20 prizes were won by prison inmates!
Tunku Azizah’s dedication to helping inmates does not stop there: her next project is the Al-Sultan Abdullah Village of Hope, a space that offers employment help to the formerly incarcerated using skills they learnt in prison.
In the meantime, the Tengku Ampuan remains steadfast in advancing arts and culture through the Tunku Azizah Heritage Foundation.
She expressed her gratitude to everyone who has helped revitalise the state’s arts and heritage landscape, including the state government; prisons, museums and handicraft departments; and her husband, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
“It was Tuanku who totally encouraged, supported me and pushed me on. He is the most compassionate man who is always so kind with everybody.”
Indeed, Tunku Azizah firmly believes that rulers must champion causes that serve the betterment of their people.
“We have so much to be proud of in Malaysia. Look at our batik – it is beautiful! And I hope people can learn to expand their horizons while creating.
“When you travel, you see new things and learn a lot. You take in other designs and learn to improvise and improve your art, instead of becoming stagnant.
“I think there’s a lot we can learn from one another,” she concluded.
