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he Universiti Malaya Coat of Arms was The word “KEMAJUAN” is a modern term portraying
designed by the Chairman of Council, the concept of economic and societal development
Tan Sri Dr. Y. C. Foo, the Vice-Chancellor, derived from 20th century Western civilization.
T Profesor A. Oppenheim and Royal Profesor In the central part the Coat of Arms, there is
Ungku A. Aziz. The first Chancellor, YTM Tunku a hibiscus which is surrounded by three tigers. The
Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, officially introduced three tigers represent the various races in Malaysia
the Coat of Arms in April 1962.
who protect our nation. The three tigers also
The Coat of Arms is divided into two parts; symbolise the three main groups in the University
the upper part is a bundle of seventeen strips of who work together in the service of the nation,
palmyra palm (borassus flabellifera). The motto namely, the academic and administrative staff, the
of the University, “ILMU PUNCHA KEMAJUAN” is support staff and the students.
written on one of the centre strips. This bundle of
palm strips symbolises the kind of book used by the The flower and the tigers stand in an azure field
Malays in ancient times before paper was available symbolising the seas of the archipelago which lie
in the region. between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea
and which link Sabah and Sarawak with Peninsular
The motto on the Coat of Arms consists of Malaysia. In conclusion, the Coat of Arms of the
the words “PUNCHA” from Sanskrit and “ILMU” from Universiti Malaya encapsulates the foundational
Arabic. Both languages have been the main sources philosophy of the University.
for the development of Malay language and culture.

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