Tunku Ampuan Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin ( Jawi: ; 1 September 1923 – 8 September 2023) was the Tunku Ampuan (queen dowager) of

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...

. She was formerly the Tunku Ampuan Besar or queen consort of Negeri Sembilan from 1967 to 2008. She also served as

Raja Permaisuri Agong The Queen of Malaysia, officially ''Raja Permaisuri Agong'' ( Jawi: ) is the consort of the ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'', the elected, constitutional federal monarch of Malaysia. Title and precedence The queen's full style and title in Mala ...

of Malaysia between 1994 and 1999. Tuanku Najihah was married to the former Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan

Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman Tuanku Ja’afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 19 July 1922 – 27 December 2008) was Yamtuan Besar, Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 1967 until his death in 2008, and the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Ki ...

. Tuanku Jaafar is also the stepson of Tuanku Najihah's sister, Tunku Kurshiah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin, who also served as Tunku Ampuan Besar. Tuanku Najihah succeeded her sister, Tunku Ampuan Durah as Tunku Ampuan Besar in 1967.

Early life

Daughter of Tunku Besar Burhanuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Antah (sometime Regent of Negeri Sembilan) and born on 1 September 1923, Tuanku Najihah received her formal education at the Tuanku Muhammad School in

Kuala Pilah Kuala Pilah (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Kolo Pilah''), or simply Pilah, is a town in Kuala Pilah District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is 36 km from the state capital Seremban and 101 km from Kuala Lumpur. Townscape Kuala Pilah is stuat ...

. She graduated from the London School of Oriental Studies. She also attended the special language and training course provided for the wives of diplomats while Tuanku Ja’afar was pursuing a course in diplomatic services in London.

Social contributions

Tuanku Najihah was made a committee member of the

Associated Country Women of the World The Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) is the largest international organization for rural women, with a membership of nine million in 82 countries (per 2023). ACWW holds a triennial conference and publishes a magazine, ''The Countrywoman ...

. She was the patron of various women's organizations such as the Girl Guides of Negeri Sembilan, the Islamic Women's Welfare Council and the Women's Institute. She was also the president of the Tuanku Ampuan Badminton Team, the Patron of the Malaysian Women's Hockey Team, Malaysian Women's Football Team, Malaysian Women's Golf Team and the Malaysian Women's Golf Association (MALGA). She also served as the first Chancellor of

Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (; ; abbreviated as USIM) is an Islamic university in Nilai, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, which is fully owned and funded by the Malaysian government. Being the 12th Public Institution of Higher Learning ( Malay ...

Family life

The royal couple had three sons and three daughters : * Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah, the ''Tunku Dara of Negeri Sembilan'' (born 26 December 1944) * Tunku Dato' Seri Utama Naquiyuddin, the ''Tunku Laksamana of Negeri Sembilan'' (born 8 March 1947) * Tunku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Imran, the ''Tunku Muda Serting'' of Negeri Sembilan (born 21 March 1949) * Tunku Puan Sri Jawahir, the ''Tunku Puteri of Negeri Sembilan'' (born 27 January 1952) * Tunku Dato' Seri Irinah, the ''Tengku Puan Panglima Raja of Selangor'' (born 23 November 1957) * Tunku Dato' Seri Nadzaruddin, the ''Tunku Panglima Besar of Negeri Sembilan'' (born 26 October 1959)

Death

Tuanku Najihah died at the Cardiac Vascular Central Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 8 September 2023, one week after celebrating her 100th birthday. Her remains were laid to rest at Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum and buried next to her husband Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar, who died in 2008.

Awards and recognitions

Honours of Negeri Sembilan

MY-NEG Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan - DKNS

Member of the

Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan The Most Illustrious Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan () is the highest chivalric and dynastic order of the state of Negeri Sembilan. The order was established on 24 May 1979 by Yamtuan Besar Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Ja'afar to re ...

(DKNS) *

MY-NEG Grand Order of Tuanku Jaafar - SPTJ

Knight Grand Commander of the Grand Order of Tuanku Ja'afar (SPTJ) – Dato' Seri

Honours of Malaysia

* , as

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

(26 April 1994 to 25 April 1999), she was awarded : ** Recipient of the

Order of the Crown of the Realm The Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm () is a Malaysian federal award. It is ranked lower than the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia. It should not be confused with the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia. Classes and re ...

(DMN) * : ** Member of the

Royal Family Order of Kedah The Most Illustrious Royal Family Order of Kedah () is the highest dynastic order of the House of Sri Mahawangsa and the second highest chivalric order of the state of Kedah ranking immediately after the State of Kedah Star of Valour. The order w ...

(DK) * : ** MY-KEL Royal Family Order - Star of Yunus - DK

Recipient of the

Royal Family Order of Kelantan The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Kelantan or the Star of Yunus ( Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di-Hormati'' or ''Bintang Al-Yunusi'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Kelantan. History Instituted on 9 August 1916, this ord ...

(DK) **

MY-KEL Order of the Crown of Kelantan - Star of Muhammad

Knight Grand Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Kelantan Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(SPMK) – Dato' (1992)

Foreign honours

* : ** Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Civil Merit The Royal Order of Civil Merit (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OMC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and the Order ...

(24 March 1995)Boletín Oficial del Estado
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Places named after her

Several places were named after her, including: * Tuanku Ampuan Najihah Hospital in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan * Kompleks Sukan Tunku Najihah,

, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan * SMK Tunku Ampuan Najihah, a secondary school in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan * Taman Sinar Harapan Tuanku Ampuan Najihah in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan * Taman Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, a residential area in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

References

Sources

"Syarikat Pesaka Antah Sdn Bhd" Website
presentation of the Board of Directors wit
photo of Tuanku Najihah
{{DEFAULTSORT:Najihah, Tunku Ampuan 1923 births 2023 deaths Malaysian women centenarians People from Negeri Sembilan Royal House of Negeri Sembilan Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Minangkabau descent Negeri Sembilan royal consorts Members of the Royal Family Order of Kedah Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit Queens consort of Malaysia Recipients of the Order of the Crown of the Realm