Raja Permaisuri debunks celebrity status, says what people see of royal couple is as is

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 ― Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah does not like to stand on ceremony.

Despite her royal upbringing as a princess in the Johor palace, the daughter of the late Sultan Iskandar Ismail told The Star in an interview published today that she and her siblings were raised strictly but treated like regular folk.

“My father was strict with us. We had a normal upbringing, “ she was quoted as saying.

Tunku Azizah is also the sister of current Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

The Queen and her husband, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, have won the hearts of Malaysians thanks to what many perceive to be the royal couple's humble way of life.

The public perception began with a photo of the first couple drinking at a small village stall, dressed in regular Muslim robes.

It gained strength with pictures and videos of the King stopping his motorcade en route to an official event to help a motorist involved in a minor road accident.

The two photos were widely shared via social media. There have been many other instances since, including one of the Agong and Raja Permaisuri both in a queue to order their own KFC meal.

But Tunku Azizah told The Star that what people saw in the photos is nothing to be celebrated, and that the couple have tried to live modestly for the past 33 years, ever since their marriage.

“Though we are not allowed to do many things, I am lucky that Tuanku does not like protocol and all the restrictions.

“What you see now is what we’re like back home in Pahang,” she was quoted as saying.