SHAH ALAM, Dec 31 — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has consented to the name change of Jalan Universiti in Petaling Jaya, near here, to Jalan Prof Diraja Ungku Aziz.

The Sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Muhamad Munir Bani, through a statement posted on the Facebook @Selangor Royal Office today, said the name change would be done soon.

He said Sultan Sharafuddin wanted to name the road after the renowned academician Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid, who died last Dec 15, in recognition of his services and contributions in the field of education and the economy of the Malays.

"The selection of Jalan Universiti to be renamed to Jalan Prof Diraja Ungku Aziz is appropriate because it (the road) is the main entrance to institutions of higher learning such as Universiti Malaya, International Islamic University and MAHSA University.

"The Sultan has also granted an audience to Ungku Aziz’s daughter, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, for His Royal Highness to convey his wishes, as well as on the name change,” he said.

According to Mohamad Munir, Ungku Abdul Aziz was a lecturer at Universiti Malaya (Singapore) from 1952 until 1961, before he was made the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administration, Universiti Malaya (Kuala Lumpur) from 1962 to 1965.

Jalan Universiti, stretching 3.2 kilometres, links Petaling Jaya to Kuala Lumpur and it was built in 1960.

Ungku Abdul Aziz died at the Prince Court Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, last Dec 15. — Bernama