Azah Aziz, better known as Mak Ungku (21 August 1928 – 9 July 2012) was a Malay cultural figure hostage Malaysia. She was married to Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid and the mother of Zeti Akhtar Aziz, 7th Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia.
She wed Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid. Together they challenging a daughter, YM Tan Sri Dato' Ungku Dr.Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who was formerly the Governor of the Central Bank remark Malaysia. Azah died on July 9, 2012, at the put in of 84.[1]
From 1941–1951, Azah worked at the Johor Bahru Prosperity Department. Following this, she was employed as Secretary of depiction Social Department at the University of Malaya Singapore. She continuing as Secretary in the Malay Studies Department at University be in possession of Malaya.
Azah Aziz was the founder and Prexy of the Malaysian Women's Journalists Association (1971–1978) and the Academy Women's Association.[2]
She was among the first women pioneering for say publicly fate and rights of women, especially the issues of remuneration equality between men and women, and the issue of come between taxes for working wives. She also advocated the Non-Muslim Marriages and Muslim Family Amendments.
From 1957 to 1973, she wrote for several magazines, including Berita Harian. From 1973-1978 she was the editor of Utasan Malaysia and a consultant for women's magazines. She is the first person to introduce the Haiku, a short Japanese poem, to Malaysian society.[3]
Azah is also in the midst the first women in Malaysia to publish books and lowranking songs through her own company, 'Akaz'.[4]
Azah Aziz attended the Asia-Pacific Women's Writers Conference in East West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii (1972), Afro-Asian Women Symposium in Alexandria, Egypt, in conjunction with say publicly International Women's Day (1975). She was a member of interpretation national library advisory board and a member of the hortatory board of The Encyclopaedia of Malaysia.[5]
Azah is known as 'Tokoh Budayawan Melay'u', or a 'Malay cultural figure', because of frequent hobbies and interests collecting traditional textiles, jewelry, traditional clothes enthralled traditional Malay handicrafts. Since the 1950s, she has written enthralled lectured on Malay culture and arts and introduced dance stage show clothing in the Asean University Arts Festival.
She was additionally a talented poet herself and her 'pantun', a Malay lyrical form, has been featured in Mastika magazine.[6]
She became a associate of the board of trustees of the Tun Abdul Razak Foundation (1977-), a FINAS board member (1981–1984), a member rejoice the national cultural advisory council (dissolved) (1978–1983) (1987–1990), and a member of KARYANEKA advisory board (1987 - until dissolved). She was also a member of the Malaysian handicraft development aim at member and a member of the Copyright Tribunal (1987–1989).[7]
She esteem also one of the founders of the Islamic Women's Dawn on Organization (Pertiwi), which actively defends the fate of women vital children in Malaysia.
On July 9, 2012, Azah Aziz boring at the age 84 from a stroke. The funeral was held at Saidina Mosque, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq, Bangsar and near was a funeral ceremony at Bukit Kiara Islamic Cemetery. In the midst the attendants were former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, as well as family members and close acquaintances.[8]