Tun
TUN or tun may refer to:
Biology
* Tun shells, large sea snails of the family ''Tonnidae''
* Tun, a tardigrade in its cryptobiotic state
* Tun or Toon, common name for trees of the genus '' Toona''
Places
* Tun, Sweden, a locality in Västra G ...
Sharifah Rodziah binti Syed Alwi Barakbah ( ms, شريفة راضية بنت سيد علوي برقبة, label=
Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 1920 – 12 March 2000) was the third wife of
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
, the founding father and first
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The prime minister of Malaysia ( ms, Perdana Menteri Malaysia; ms, ڤردان منتري مليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the fed ...
.
Early life
Born in 1920, Sharifah Rodziah is of
Hadhrami-
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
descent; her Arab ancestors had migrated from
Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Sau ...
and settled in
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area ...
for several generations. Being of the Barakbah clan, she is related to
Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah, the former
Yang di-Pertua Negeri
In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri ( in Malay) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a Ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in constrast to a Ruler () which is a constitutional title giv ...
(Governor) of
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
.
Marriage
Sharifah Rodziah was actually the younger sister of Tunku's university mate in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, Syed Omar Barakbah. Tunku and Sharifah Rodziah married in 1939 when he returned to
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area ...
from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
upon hearing news that
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
was about to erupt in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
She became Tunku's third wife after the death of
Meriam Chong
Lady Meriam Chong Abdullah, also known as Chong Ah Mei or Mariam Abdullah, was the first wife of Tunku Abdul Rahman, who later became the founding father and the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Early life
Lady Meriam was the daughter of a tin mi ...
and his divorce from
Violet Coulson
Violet Coulson was the second wife of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Friendship
Tunku had met Coulson in 1927, during his second year as a law student in London. She was an attractive lady who managed a restaurant where ...
. However, the marriage did not result in any offspring. Sharifah Rodziah became a loving stepmother to Tunku's children from his first marriage to
Meriam Chong
Lady Meriam Chong Abdullah, also known as Chong Ah Mei or Mariam Abdullah, was the first wife of Tunku Abdul Rahman, who later became the founding father and the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Early life
Lady Meriam was the daughter of a tin mi ...
. They later adopted three children, Sulaiman, Mariam and Faridah.
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
's eldest daughter, Tunku Khadijah said in an interview to ''
The Star
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' that Sharifah Rodziah "loved my father dearly to a fault. She did not want to share him with anyone else".
Influence
Sharifah Rodziah played an important role in rallying political support for her husband during
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
's tumultuous formative years.
Death
She died due to
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
, in
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
, on 12 March 2000 at the age of 80 and was buried next to her husband's grave,
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
at
Kedah Royal Mausoleum
Kedah Royal Mausoleum or Langgar Royal Mausoleum ( ms, Makam Diraja Langgar) is a Kedah royal burial grounds. It is located in Langgar, Kota Setar District, Kedah, Malaysia.
List of graves Sultan graves
* Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Mu'adz ...
in
Langgar,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area ...
.
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
* :
** Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(SMN) – Tun (1970)
* :
**
![MY-TER Order of the Crown of Terengganu - SPMT - SMT - AMT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/MY-TER_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Terengganu_-_SPMT_-_SMT_-_AMT.svg)
Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Terengganu
The Most Distinguished Order of the Crown of Terengganu (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Terengganu Yang Amat Mulia'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Terengganu.
History
It was founded by Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin of Tereng ...
(SPMT) – Dato' (1964)
Places named after her
Several places were named after her, including:
*SMK Tun Sharifah Rodziah in
Alor Setar
Alor Setar ( Jawi: الور ستار, Kedahan: ''Loqstaq'') is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia ...
,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area ...
*SMK Agama Sharifah Rodziah in
Telok Mas
Telok Mas is a small town in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia.
Economy
* Telok Mas Industrial Estate
Schools
*Henry Gurney Prisoners School
*SK Telok Mas
*SMK Telok Mas
*SMK(A) Sharifah Rodziah
*SJK(C) Kuang Yah 光亚华小
*SRA Tel ...
,
Melaka
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
*Tun Sharifah Rodziah Sea Base, located at
Eastern Sabah Security Zone
The Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) is a security zone in the Malaysian state of Sabah that was launched by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on 25 March 2013 following persistent attacks by pirates and militants from the southern Ph ...
(ESSZONE),
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
*
Piala Tun Sharifah Rodziah
See also
*
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia
References
Sources
Asiaweek.com 24 March 2000.
* ''Putera Negara''; 1987, Firma Publishing, Aziz Zarina Ahmad.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodziah Barakbah, Sharifah
Spouses of prime ministers of Malaysia
Malaysian people of Yemeni descent
1920 births
2000 deaths
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Terengganu
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
People from Kedah