An Intimate Dialogue

The legacy of Tunku Abdul Rahman is being kept alive by three courageous and independent women. Lily Ong interviews Tunku Khadijah Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sharifah Menyalara Hussein and Natasha Idris to uncover how his fighting spirit lives on in them

- Lily Ong

During our photo shoot in Sharifah Menyalara Hussein’s home, photos of her grandfather Tunku Abdul Rahman caught my eye. A gentleman politician known for his diplomatic skills that secured our country its independence in 1957, Tunku’s face is one that every patriotic Malaysian knows.

Today, he remains a beloved figure for what he stood for: unity, equality and integrity. “He had no racial bias towards people, he accepted them for who they are. He was idealistic, patriotic and brave; there’s never a sense of ego about him. Everything he did was for the country he loved,” recalls Menyalara, who is affectionately called Lara by her loved ones.

Lara’s mother Tunku Khadijah Tunku Abdul Rahman seconds this observation. “He would talk to sweepers and gardeners the same way he would to a VIP,” she said. Having lost her mother at a very young age, Tunku Khadijah was close to her father and was a filial daughter.

“Despite his progressive thinking and values, Tunku is old-fashioned in some ways. He never forced me to finish my studies because he believed that, as a woman I will be taken care of when I am married. Instead he encouraged me to pick up skills such as cooking and hairdressing. I once owned a hairdressing shop in Alor Setar that I closed down after I got married. My husband Datuk Syed Hussein Syed Abu Bakar was a diplomat, so I would travel with him to all of his postings abroad,” explained Tunku Khadijah.

Tunku Khadijah is mother to three daughters: Sharifah Intan, Sharifah Hanizah and of course Lara, who is the youngest. Lara was named by Tunku after his beloved mother. “My father loved Lara dearly. Every time he was on the way to his own residence, he would always stop by my house to pick up Lara, to spend time his granddaughter,” she says.