IPOH: Tuanku Zara Salim was today crowned as the Raja Permaisuri of Perak.
Born on March 22, 1973, she is the youngest of the four children of Datuk Salim Davidson and Sharifah Azaliah Tan Sri Syed Omar Shahabudin.
Tuanku Zara received her early education at the Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Convent Ipoh, before attending secondary school at the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Ipoh. She continued her studies at the ‘A level’ at the Prime College, Kuala Lumpur.
She subsequently furthered her studies at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree (First Class) in Chemical Engineering.
Upon her return in 1995, Tuanku Zara served at Petronas for six years before moving to an information technology company, Formis Malaysia Berhad.
In 2005, she held the post of managing-director at Forthwave Consulting Sdn Bhd, a consultant company on hydrocarbon.
Tuanku Zara was active in several sports and represented Perak in swimming while at school.
She married Sultan Nazrin Shah on May 17, 2007 and was made the Raja Permaisuri of Perak on May 18, 2014.
She has two children, a son, Raja Azlan Muzaffar Shah and a daughter, Raja Nazira Safya.
A species of purple hybrid orchid was named ‘Dendrobium Tuanku Zara Salim’ in conjunction with her visit to the seventh International Orchid Festival on July 9, 2007.
On Jan 1, 2012, Tuanku Zara was appointed the Chancellor of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. She is also the patron of the Perak Family Health Association, Convent Girls Alumni and the Girl Guides Association of Perak.-Bernama