From volunteering at food banks to advocating for mental health, these young royals are doing their part to help out

Tunku Ali Redhauddin and Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin

Tunku Ali Redhauddin and his brother Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin aren't the type to let the grass grow under their feet when there's work to be done. Before the lockdown, the sons of Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir participated regularly in community outreach programmes and grassroots fundraising efforts.

In April, the royal siblings met with Ian and Aaron Hashim of The 10 Ringgit Project who helped raise funds for food baskets and household essentials for B40 families in Negeri Sembilan via charity organisation Yayasan Munarah, of which Tunku Ali is chairman.  

Tunku Zain is also the chairman of General Assembly Malaysia, an educational institution behind the MySTEP Programme 2021 that aims to help unemployed Malaysians upskill digitally in order to earn a steady living during lockdown. 

Related: How 2 Teenagers Raised Over RM30,000 For The Underprivileged During A Pandemic                  

Tengku Zatashah Idris and Tengku Amir Shah

'gallery right' 'gallery right'
'gallery right' 'gallery right'
Photo 1 of 3 Tengku Zatashah volunteering at Kechara Soup Kitchen (Photo: @zatashah/Instagram)
Photo 2 of 3 The plucky Selangor princess (right) has a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude about volunteering to help underprivileged communities (Photo: @zatashah/Instagram)
Photo 3 of 3 Tengku Amir Shah founded the Selangor Youth Community, dedicated to helping youths empower themselves and others (Photo: Selangor Youth Community)

We love that these Selangor royal siblings are just at home helping people on the streets and in the community. Tengku Zatashah is the royal patron of Make A Wish Malaysia and a staunch zero-waste advocate who uses social media as a platform to raise awareness and funds for the causes closest to her heart. She also regularly volunteers at soup kitchens. 

Cut from the same cloth, her brother Tengku Amir Shah is the founder of Selangor Youth Community, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping young people empower others through community service, sports outreach programmes, arts initiatives and more. This week, the prince partnered with Kelab Kebajikan Anggun Karisma Damansara Damai and Segi Fresh Market, contributing food supplies and household essentials to 103 needy families in Selangor.

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Earlier this year, Tengku Amir called for more youths to expand their employment opportunities and get trained under the TEAM professional development programme in partnership with the Prince's Trust International organisation.

"In these tough times, I urge that all of us to grab any opportunity for a better future, and I would like to invite any youths struggling to get opportunities out there to join our Team Programme," Tengku Amir said in an Instagram post. 

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Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah

The eldest son of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah, the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Shah is an outspoken advocate for eco-conservation and a philanthropist at heart.  In May, Pahang chief minister Dato' Sri Wan Rosdy Bin Wan Ismail shared the news of the young royal's decision to donate four months of his royal allowance to the Pahang Covid-19 Fund, his second contribution to this state Covid-19 relief fund since 2020.

It's been said that the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst graduate did not want people to know his royal status during his military training in the UK and often went by the name 'Shah' to avoid attention or special treatment.

Related: Help These Organisations Support Struggling Communities During Lockdown           

Tengku Iman Afzan Abdullah

If I can make a change, however big or small, in helping to remove the stigma on mental health, or ensure better access to help, or raise awareness on the importance of a healthy mind, I will have achieved my goal.

- Tengku Iman Afzan Abdullah -

This year, the Pahang princess launched a social enterprise called the Green Ribbon Group for the threefold purpose of advocacy, fundraising and collaboration towards greater mental health awareness in Malaysia. Tengku Iman's mental health advocacy has led to her being named the international patron for World Mental Health Day by the World Federation for Mental Health.

"I would like to play a role by making mental health a part of our everyday conversation," stated Tengku Iman in an Instagram post last year. "Therapy, or seeking help, should not be seen as something out of the ordinary. If I can make a change, however big or small, in helping to remove the stigma on mental health, or ensure better access to help, or raise awareness on the importance of a healthy mind, I would have achieved my goal."

Via Instagram, the Green Ribbon Group has announced that it will support anyone who requires counselling from the Malaysian Mental Health Association during lockdown. Call +6017-613 3039 or +603-2780 6803 and mention the Green Ribbon Group to get a free session with a counsellor on Mondays to Fridays, between 9am to 5pm.

Related: 8 Malaysian Advocates Of Mental Health, From Influencers To Corporate Figures

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