Tengku Budriah

Raja Perempuan Besar Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail (Jawi: ; 28 March 1924 – 28 November 2008) was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis and the third Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia as the wife of Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail.

Early life She was born in Kuala Krai, Kelantan on 28 March 1924. She was the daughter of Almarhum Tengku Mek Haji Ismail Ibni HH Tuan Besar, the Raja of Pattani in Southern Thailand, and wife Tengku Besar Zubaidah binti Almarhum Tengku Abdul Kadir. Her late father, Tengku Mek Haji Ismail was son of HH Raja Tuan Besar Ibni Tuan Long Puteh, the third king of Pattani from Long Yunus dynasty of Kelantan while his mother was a daughter of the last king of Pattani, HH Sultan Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin Syah Ibni Sultan Sulaiman Syarafuddin Syah, brother of Tengku Muhammad Shah Of Pattani, Tengku Baniun of Pattani. Her younger sister, YM Tengku Tan Sri Noor Zakiah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail, is the first Bumiputera female stockbroker in Malaysia and founder of Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad.

Her family ruled Pattani in south Thailand until it was overthrown by King Chulalongkorn in his effort to consolidate his hold on the southern part of that country. Tengku Budriah's grandfather, the former Sultan Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin Ibni Sultan Sulaiman Sharafuddin (Tuan Long Bongsu) of Patani, withdrew to Kelantan. The ruling family of Kelantan was distantly related to that of Patani. Long Muhammad Ibni Raja Muda Long Ismail, the grandson of Long Yunus (King of united Kelantan) was appointed by Siam to rule Pattani after he reconciled and give up his right on Kelantanese throne to his cousin, Long Senik Mulut Merah (Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan).

Tengku Budriah was brought up in a family which had a simple way of life. She was noted for her gentleness and politeness. By her active involvement in uniformed organisations she developed herself into a personality with superior leadership traits.

She began her primary education in Kuala Krai Malay School when she was seven, then continued her education at Kuala Krai English School. Tengku Budriah later spent her Lower Secondary Education at the Anglo-Chinese Girls School in Ipoh, Perak. As an active person in extra-curricular activities, she was appointed as committee member in Brownies and Girl Guides, and would later attend the 1950 Girl Guides Jamboree in Australia.

Besides that, she was also active in sports where she represented her school team in badminton and hockey, and also enjoyed sewing, cooking, flower arrangement and horse riding.

Marriage and becoming queen At the age of 16, Tengku Budriah married Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, heir apparent of Perlis in 1941. She went on to bear him five princes and five princesses.

When he was exiled by the Japanese occupying forces during the second World War, she helped him run a small cake and sundry goods shop in Kota Bharu. After the 1945 Japanese surrender she returned to Perlis with her family, travelling by train to Padang Besar, then by manually operated railway trolley (Gek-gek) to Bukit Keteri since there was no train link.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi paid their last respects in Kuala Lumpur before her body was flown on a Royal Malaysian Air Force Hercules aircraft from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport to Sultan Abdul Halim Airport in Alor Star. Her body was then taken on a hearse (driven overland from the Sultan Abdul Halim-Kepala Batas Airport in Alor Star) to the royal town of Arau, where the local citizens were given an hour to pay their last respects; among them were the Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim and the Sultanah of Kedah Sultanah Haminah. She was buried at the Perlis Royal Mausoleum in the afternoon.

Awards and recognitions She has been awarded:

Honours of Perlis

Malaysian Honours

Foreign Honours

Grand Cordon Special Class of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance

Places named after her Several places were named after her, including:

Jalan Tengku Budriah in Arau, Perlis Taman Tengku Budriah in Arau, Perlis Rumah Kanak-Kanak Tengku Budriah in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur Sekolah Tengku Budriah, primary school in Arau, Perlis SMK Tengku Budriah, secondary school in Arau, Perlis SK Raja Perempuan Budriah, primary school in Simpang Empat, Perlis