Ungku Abdul Aziz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yang Mulia Royal Professor Dr.
Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid
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| 3rd Vice-Chancellor of University of Malaya | |
| In office October 1968 – February 1988 |
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| Preceded by | J. H. E. Griffiths |
| Succeeded by | Syed Hussein Alatas |
| 1st Director of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka | |
| In office 1956–1957 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Syed Nasir Ismail |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid
28 January 1922 London, England |
| Died | 15 December 2020 (aged 98) Prince Court Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Resting place | Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Nationality | British, Malaysian |
| Spouses |
Sharifah Azah Mohamed Alsagoff
(m. 1946; died 2012)Rahaiah Baheran
(m. 2014) |
| Children | Zeti Akhtar Aziz |
| Education | English College Johore Bahru |
| Alma mater | University of Malaya (DipArts, BA in Economics) Waseda University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Economist, lecturer |
| Known for | The only person that hold the title of Royal Professor in Malaysia |
Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid (born January 28, 1922 – died December 15, 2020) was an important Malaysian economist and teacher. He was the third Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya. He held this top position from 1968 to 1988. He was also the first Director of the Council on Language and Literature of Malaysia. This was from 1956 to 1957. In 1978, he received the special title of Royal Professor.
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Early Life, Family, and School
Ungku Abdul Aziz was born into the Johor Royal Family. His father, Ungku Abdul Hamid Ungku Abdul Majid, was a prince and military officer from Malaya. Ungku Abdul Aziz was a cousin to other famous people like Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas and Syed Hussein Alatas. He was also related to Sultan Ibrahim of Johor. His father had Malay and Turkish (Circassian) family roots. His mother was English.
He went to school at the English College in Johor Bahru. He also studied at the Malay school in Batu Pahat. He earned a Diploma in Arts from Raffles College in Singapore. This college is now part of the University of Malaya. He then got his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1951. Later, he earned his PhD from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, in 1964.
His daughter, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, also became a very important person. She was the former governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. This is Malaysia's central bank.
Amazing Academic Career
Ungku Abdul Aziz started his career working for the government in Johor. From 1952 to 1961, he taught as a lecturer at the University of Malaya in Singapore. For one year during this time, he led the Council on Language and Literature of Malaysia.
From 1962 to 1965, he became a professor and dean of the Faculty of Economics. This was at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Then, from 1968 to 1988, he became the Vice-Chancellor of the university. He was the first Malaysian to hold this high position. He started many new things at the university. These included the Botanical Garden and the Museum of Asian Art. He also helped create a cooperative bookstore.
He wrote more than 50 books about Malaysia's social and economic issues. He also helped plan many industrial projects. He advised important international groups like the ILO, UNESCO, and the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East.
On June 17, 1978, he was given the special title of Royal Professor. This title was given to him by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. He was the only person in Malaysia to ever hold this unique rank.
Awards and Honors
Ungku Abdul Aziz received many important awards for his work:
- Royal Professor (1978) - This was given by the King of Malaysia.
- Japan Foundation Award (1981)
- The Fukuoka Prize (1993)
- "Outstanding Figure of the Islamic Era" (1997) - Awarded by the King of Malaysia.
- "Outstanding Figure of the National Cooperative Movement" (2002)
- The Outstanding Malay Figure Award (2005)
- National Academic Award (2006)
- National Merdeka Award (2008)
- Rochdale Award (2009)
Later Life and Passing
Ungku Abdul Aziz passed away on December 15, 2020. He was 98 years old. He died at Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur due to old age. He was survived by his wife, Rahaiah Baheran, and his daughter, Zeti Akhtar Aziz. He was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur.
Places Named After Him
Several places were named in his honor:
- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ungku Aziz (SMKUA) in Sabak Bernam, Selangor.
- Balai Ungku Aziz, which is a hall at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Malaya.
- Kolej Kediaman Ungku Aziz, the 11th student residence college at the University of Malaya.
- Jalan Prof Diraja Ungku Aziz, a road in Kuala Lumpur. It was renamed in late 2020 to honor him.
See also
- In Spanish: Ungku Abdul Aziz para niños
