KUALA LUMPUR – The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has rejected a proposal by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu to revert Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) name to its original Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.
His Royal Highness clarified that the proposal had not been brought before him, in his capacity as the university’s chancellor, or to UPM’s board of directors for deliberation, Sinar Harian reported.
“Recently, I read a statement from Minister Mohamad Sabu, who suggested renaming Universiti Putra Malaysia to Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. I do not agree with this proposal.
“Therefore, I wish to make it clear here that UPM’s name should be retained as I launched this ‘Putra’ brand, which signifies ‘agriculture for the people’,” the sultan said during UPM’s 48th Convocation (Session 2) 2024, held at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Cultural and Arts Centre (PKKSSAAS) in Serdang.
The sultan added that the name “Putra” was adopted to honour Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.
“I would like to remind those who lack the understanding of history to read and examine the facts before issuing any statements, particularly those regarding UPM,” he added.
On Thursday, Mohamad Sabu reportedly proposed the renaming, citing the nation’s current emphasis on food security and agricultural advancements.
“I intend to do so (revert the name) because the original name of Universiti Putra was Universiti Pertanian. Returning to the name Universiti Pertanian seems appropriate.
“Perhaps when the name was changed, we did not consider issues like climate change. Now, agriculture has become a global issue. The UN (United Nations) and everyone else is discussing agriculture,” he said, as quoted by Bernama. – November 30, 2024