How Sad!

Here is a piece of news I read on Malaysian Insider, on 28 July 2008.

UIAM doing away with songkok for convo
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 —The International Islamic University of Malaysia is doing away with the songkok and special scarves during convocation for its graduates. Instead, from this year's convocation, to be held from Aug 23 to 25, graduates will wear their graduation robes with mortar boards. UIAM deputy rector (Academic and Research) Prof Datuk Dr Tahir Azhar said the change was made to standardise the dress code for university convocations nationwide. He said yesterday that this year 4,112 UIAM graduates would receive their scrolls. He said there would also be a change in the colour of the graduation robes, from turquoise green to turquoise blue. "The songket pattern on the sleeve of the new graduation robes will be that of the 'pucuk rebung' (bamboo shoot)," he added. He said UIAM was spending RM2.1 million for the new graduation robes. — Bernama (source: http://themalaysianinsider.com)

My first reaction to this was: HOW SAD!
We (IIUM) was setup to lead! Now we are merely the followers.

University convocation ceremonies here in NZ, see the Maoris proudly putting on their traditional (related to their believes i.e. religion) outfit, but we would want to hide our identities away.