In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Syed Alwi Barakbah is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Sharifah Rodziah. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Sharifah Rodziah was actually the younger sister of Tunku's university mate in England, Syed Omar Barakbah. Tunku and Sharifah Rodziah married in 1939 when he returned to Kedah from England upon hearing news that World War II was about to erupt in Europe.
She became Tunku's third wife after the death of Meriam Chong and his divorce from Violet Coulson. However, the marriage did not result in any offspring. Sharifah Rodziah became a loving stepmother to Tunku's children from his first marriage to Meriam Chong. They later adopted three children, Sulaiman, Mariam and Faridah.
Tunku Abdul Rahman's eldest daughter, Tunku Khadijah said in an interview to The Star that Sharifah Rodziah "loved my father dearly to a fault. She did not want to share him with anyone else".[2]
Influence
Sharifah Rodziah played an important role in rallying political support for her husband during Malaysia's tumultuous formative years.
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