25 Years Of Dedication: Kak Fizah’s Unseen Role In Preparing UTHM VVIP Robes

BATU PAHAT, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- The 25th Convocation Ceremony of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) this year also marks a quarter-century of Hafizah Hamsin’s thoughtful preparation of the academic robes for the university’s distinguished guests, including the Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor.

Hafizah, 54, or Kak Fizah as she is fondly known, never thought she would play a key role in UTHM’s convocation preparations, but since taking on the responsibility in 2001, she has devoted herself entirely to the role.

The Customer Service Officer at the UTHM Registrar’s Office said that although her work is largely behind the scenes, ensuring the guests of honour’s robes are flawless is a responsibility of great trust, as they invariably attract all eyes on the day of the convocation.

“A week before the convocation, the committee and I usually go through all the robes to make sure they’re in good condition, well-ironed, clean and free of any defects. We also check each bonnet one by one.

“I pay attention to every detail, from removing stray threads from the songket to making sure the name tags are correctly placed on each robe. Many people think this work is easy, but it actually requires a great deal of care,” she told Bernama when met at Dewan Sultan Ibrahim here.

Recalling the highlight of her 25-year role, Kak Fizah said it was in 2002, when she prepared a robe for His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who was at the time both the university’s Chancellor and the Tunku Mahkota of Johor.

“I was so nervous at that time. I just prayed that everything would go smoothly. When the first session ended, His Majesty smiled and thanked me…it was such a relief,” she said.

However, the Kampung Parit Sikun native said her duties did not stop there, as she had to prepare robes and bonnets for other guests of honour for the next session.

She said that after nearly two decades of preparing robes for Sultan Ibrahim, a new thrill came in 2023 when the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, was proclaimed the new Chancellor of UTHM.

“Alhamdulillah, Tunku Mahkota Ismail is very much like his father, friendly and approachable. We at UTHM feel comfortable working with him,” she said.

After 31 years of service at the university, Hafizah said she was still ready to carry out her responsibilities at the next convocation, should she be given the trust.

-- BERNAMA