JOHOR BARU • Like any young bride, Johor princess Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Sultan Ibrahim is excited about getting her new home ready as her wedding day approaches.
She and her betrothed, Dutch- born Dennis Muhammad Abdullah, will be wed tomorrow, beginning a new chapter in their lives as husband and wife.
"We will move into our own home and start life anew as husband and wife," Tunku Tun Aminah, 31, said in a press release yesterday.
"This will be the first time I will be living alone, and away from my parents and family," she added.
The princess is the only daughter of Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and his wife Raja Zarith Sofiah, and the second of six siblings.
The betrothal will take place tomorrow morning at Istana Bukit Serene in Johor Baru, followed by the solemnisation ceremony.
Meanwhile, the "bersanding" or sitting-in-state ceremony will be held in the evening at the Throne Room of Istana Besar in Johor Baru.
Some 1,200 guests are expected to attend that ceremony, which will be steeped in the traditions and customs of the centuries-old Johor royal family.
Johoreans can join in the celebrations and witness the regal spectacle, which will be relayed live from giant digital screens at Dataran Bandaraya and the Johor Baru City Council building.
The fairy-tale romance between the princess and her beau, illustrated by glowing pictures of the royal couple dressed in matching traditional Malay outfits, has captured the hearts and minds of the public.
It was reported that there was instant chemistry between the princess and the former marketing manager of Singapore's Tampines Rovers Football Club when they first met in a cafe in Malaysia.
Mr Dennis now holds a senior position in a major property development company in Johor Baru.
Tunku Tun Aminah said she was attracted to Mr Dennis because of his "gentle and kind personality".
"He is also very supportive and understands me well," she said.
Mr Dennis, 28, had equally loving words for his bride-to-be.
"Tunku Tun Aminah is very special to me.
"She is sweet but is also sensible and has very strong family values.
"She is very close to her family, the same way I am with my family back home in Holland," he said.
Mr Dennis said that despite being married to a royal, he would still work.
This is because his father had always stressed to him the importance of working hard and earning a living.
JOHOR ROYAL PRESS OFFICE
