KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 – The first Malaysian to be appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malay and its longest serving Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Abdul Hamid has died at the age of 98 today.
Ungku Aziz, who was also the father of the bank’s former Malaysian governor of Negara Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar, was earlier admitted to Prince Court H Hospital Spital, where he was pronounced dead at 30.30 pm today.
Astro Avni The body will be taken to Taman Tun Is Ismail’s Masjid at-Takwa, where he will be buried tonight, the late academic wife Rohya Ahmed Bahir was quoted as saying.
Ungku Aziz held his position at UM between 1968 and 1988, and was awarded the title of Royal Professor in 1978 – the only Malaysian to hold the title.
He taught economics there, and was also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and later the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administration.
He has received numerous awards, including the Order des Arts et des Lettress of France, the Order of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan) and the Ton Abdul Razzaq Foundation Award (Malaysia), as well as many honorary degrees from universities around the world.
His most notable contribution was the creation of the Lemgaga Tabung Haji, which was established to provide Muslims with funds to travel and perform their Hajj.
Ungku Aziz was born on January 28, 1922 in London, England, before spending most of his childhood in Johor Bahru.
His alma mater includes Johor Barui English College, Ruffles College in Singapore and Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.
His ex-wife and Zeti’s mother, Sharifa Azah Mohamed Alsagov, also known as Norazah Abdul Aziz, died in 2012.
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