Ready in Red

Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz, the first female national chairperson of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, shares the untold benefits of championing more women and youth voices in the humanitarian space

-  Tania Jayatilaka

Having grown up in a royal family, Dato’ Seri DiRaja Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz often observed the dedication that her parents, the late Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah and Sultanah Bahiyah, had for their home state of Kedah. Being graduates of prestigious institutions like Oxford and Nottingham universities, Tunku Puteri Intan’s parents were firm proponents of education, believing that the education of women in particular was crucial to the advancement of Malaysian society as a whole.

“My parents were very openminded and very forward-thinking people for their age and generation,” muses Tunku Puteri Intan. “They were also very devoted to community work their whole lives. One thing I learnt from my father was how to be present as a leader. My parents gave their complete attention to whatever was in front of them, whether it was presenting a scroll to a PhD student or visiting schools, sports events, and youth events. Many people forget that being present and having focus is a valuable leadership skill as a humanitarian,” the down-to-earth Kedah royal adds.