The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) must set an example by showing mutual respect for Malaysia's religious diversity instead of insisting that non-Muslim graduates don the headscarf or 'tudung' on campus or during convocation, said an alumni member.

Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan, referring to the ongoing debate on the wearing of the headscarf in IIU, said respect must be mutual and not demanded by only one side.

"I wore a 'tudung segitiga' for four years in IIUM and did not have the courage then to raise the matter although I felt uneasy about the whole thing. Ultimately, respect is mutual," she said.

She said she has blogged two chapters about her feelings during the time she wore the tudung in IIU.

"If IIU is trying to project a good image of Islam, then it should abolish such a rule. It should lead the way by showing that Islam is moderate, open, understanding and sensitive.

"This will also encourage more non-Muslims to apply for admission," she said.

On Wednesday, the Cabinet agreed to leave the wearing of tudung as optional for all tertiary students.

Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh reportedly said that non-Muslim females at IIU were only required to don a headscarf in respect of Islam.

The minister said that since the university's convocation garments comprising the tudung (and songkok for men) with the IIU logo was only a ceremonial attire, it should not pose any problem.

'Little difference'

Fong however said there was little difference between a headscarf and a 'tudung'.

"I'm unhappy over the ruling which is insensitive to other races, religions and cultures despite Malaysia being a plural society ," she told a press conference at Parliament House today.

"To me, there is very little difference between a headscarf and a tudung, and to say that wearing the tudung at a graduation ceremony is part of a formal attire is totally unacceptable."

She said IIU was a public university funded by public funds, the latest allocation being around RM275 million.

On whether she had raised the matter with university authorities back then, Fong said she had to focus on achieving her academic dream given the difficulty of gaining entry into public universities in Malaysia.

"I did not have the courage that Foo Yueh Jiin (a IIUM student reportedly barred from attending her convocation for not wearing the tudung) has displayed. I was merely grateful for being accepted into IIU especially in the face of the quota system."

Convocation missed

Foo, who was present today, said the Cabinet decision was confusing due to conflicting reports in major dailies including the Chinese press.

"This is most regrettable given the importance of the issue. Speaking from a personal experience, I was required to wear a proper tudung during the first two years of my studies and a scarf for the remaining two years.

"The change from donning a tudung to scarf came only after the issue of non-Muslims being forced to wear tudung on campus was made public in Parliament."

She said no option was given when it came to the convocation ceremony last August. Female students who did not wear the tudung that was provided were barred from the hall.

"I missed my convocation because I refused to submit to such arbitrary rule."

Citing Cambridge University's convocation, Foo said that a graduate may request for the Trinitarian Formula (Christian prayer) to be omitted during his or her turn to receive the scroll.

"Such request is in no way a show of disrespect for the university and the university does not suffer from any disrespect when its students of different faiths make such a request," she said.

"However, I must stress here that not all non-Muslim students dare to voice out their unhappiness for fear of being labelled as anti-Islam or anti-Muslim."

Respect diversity

Opposition Leader and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, who chaired the press conference, said the IIU's policy did not reflect Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Deepavali message for all Malaysians to respect the diversity of Malaysian society.

"The question of respect is not disputed here as there is full respect for Islam but IIU must also respect Malaysia's multi-religious composition and set a good example as a leading public educational institution."

He described the university's insistence of the tudung as an official or ceremonial dress for convocation as "unacceptable" and that there were certain sensitivities that must be accepted.