GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Her Royal Highness Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah binti Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who often goes by Tengku Zatashah, is the second daughter of the current and ninth Sultan of Selangor. Being a prominent figure in society, she uses her social media platforms to raise awareness on various social and environmental issues, spearheading campaigns such as #SayNo2Plastic and #ZeroFoodWastage. She also gives back to the community by distributing food to the homeless and to poor urban families. Another project that Her Royal Highness has in the pipeline is a collaboration with Barbie, in which she will be serving as a mentor to young changemakers.

There is no one word to describe her profession as she wears many hats; when not inspiring changes as a passionate social advocate or a driven environmental activist, she serves as Royal Patron for Make-AWish Malaysia, President of Alliance Francaise Kuala Lumpur (AFKL), Board Director of InNature Berhad, and chairperson and trustees to various other reputable charitable organisations.

Wanting to see more women step up in their chosen careers, she advises, “Believe in yourself. Ignore all the naysayers. If you have a dream, a passion or a cause, go for it, and strive hard. Sometimes, we women, we tend to put our heads down. The reality is networking and visibility are so important. We've got to do it like our male colleagues; we have to be visible, network, and not be afraid of sharing our achievements and successes.”

“I used to be that person,” she admits, “who thinks I will work hard and hope to be noticed. But at the end of the day, no one’s singing my praises. So, unless you tell people this is my goal, this is my dream, I want to achieve this, then people won’t know and they won’t be able to help you.”

“There’s nothing worse, I think, than to think ‘I wish I had done that.’ So, live with no regrets, go for it. If you failed, at least you tried,” she encourages women to strive for power, which to her means: “The strength, confidence and courage to be able to go out there and do what you dream of.”

“Sometimes, we women, we tend to put our heads down. The reality is network ing and v isibility are so important. We've got to do it like our male colleagues; we have to be visible, network, and not be afraid of sharing our achievements and successes.”