Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom binti Abdullah, formerly known as Sultanah Kalsom (''née'' Anita Abdullah; born 12 September 1951 in

Taftan Taftan (in Persian: تفتان ''Taftân'') may refer to: * Taftan (volcano), located in Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran * Taftan, Balochistan Taftan ( ur, ) ( bal, ) is a trunk road and railway town in Chagai District, Balochistan, ...

Baluchistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

Dominion of Pakistan Between 14 August 1947 and 23 March 1956, Pakistan was an independent federal dominion in the Commonwealth of Nations, created by the passing of the Indian Independence Act 1947 by the British parliament, which also created the Dominion of I ...

) is the former Sultanah consort of

Pahang Pahang (;Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a ...

as the 2nd wife and widow of

Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah ( Jawi: ; 24 October 1930 – 22 May 2019) was the fifth modern Sultan of Pahang, and also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong ...

. She is of

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and Pakistani descent. Prior to her marriage, she was an air stewardess for a prominent airline. Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom married Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang on 14 March 1991. She was titled ''Her Highness'' Cik Puan Kalsom binti Abdullah on the day of her marriage and later became the ''Sultanah of Pahang'', with the style of ''

Her Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...

'' on 30 September 1992. She and the Sultan have a son together: ''His Highness'' Tengku Fahad Mu'adzam Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah,HighBeam: New Straits Times - Pleasant surprise for Sultan Ahmad Shah
/ref> the Tengku Arif Temenggong of Pahang. After her husband's death in May 2019, her stepson, Al-Sultan Abdullah bestowed her the title of ''Cik Puan Besar of Pahang'' or equivalent to a Queen Dowager. She is styled ''Her Highness''. The title ''Cik Puan Besar of Pahang'' is for a commoner who became a widow of the late Sultan.

Contributions

Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom has been active with social causes and is a patron of numerous organisations, lending her presence to inspire those engaged in managing these organisations.

Yayasan Sri Kencana Kalsom

The Yayasan Sri Kencana Kalsom, named after her, provides shelter for single parents as well as women who have been victims of domestic abuse. The Yayasan helps these women rebuild their lives finding them jobs that enable them to be independent and lead their lives with dignity.

OrphanCARE

She is also Patron of OrphanCARE Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims in getting orphans adopted. OrphanCARE also set up Malaysia's first baby hatch for mothers to anonymously leave their unwanted newborns to be put up for adoption. She has given her full support to the organisation which has the

Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development ( ms, Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat), abbreviated KPWKM, is a ministry of the Government of Malaysia responsible for social welfare: children, women, family, commun ...

as its smart partner.

Soroptimist Club of Kuantan

As Patron of the Soroptimist Club of Kuantan, a gathering of professional women who pool their talents to assist the needy, Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom works closely to guide the movement with her strong views on empowerment. Her concern for women stems from her personal philosophy that dreams must be pursued to the fullest and that women must be given every opportunity to realise their talents.

The Sorority

Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom is also an Honorary Member of The Sorority, an exclusive members-only club for inspiring professional women based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, is considered an iconic inspirational woman who represents the modern, professional woman who is shaping the future with individual style and expression.

Kiwanis Club of Kuantan

Cik Puan Besar Hajjah Kalsom has been the

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

of the

Kiwanis Club Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...

Kuantan Kuantan ( Jawi: ) is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population, and the largest city in the East Coast of Penin ...

since 2004.Mind: Those with Down Syndrome learn to gain employment
/ref>

Honours

For the exceptional work that is inspiring societal advancement the

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (also called Limkokwing and LUCT) is a private university that has a presence across Africa, Europe, and Asia. With its main campus in Malaysia, the university has over 30,000 students from more tha ...

awarded Sultanah Kalsom the Honorary Doctorate of Social Development.

Honours of Pahang

* : **

MY-PAH Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang - DK I

Member 1st class of the

Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang The Most Esteemed Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang ( Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Sri Indera Mahkota Pahang Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Pahang. History Instituted on 25 May 1967, the order is awarde ...

(DK I)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalsom binti Abdullah, Sultanah 1951 births Living people Royal House of Pahang Malaysian people of Indian descent Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian Muslims Pahang royal consorts