UOC Sarong Fest ’26 Connects a Diverse Campus Community Through Malaysian Heritage

Held in conjunction with Malaysia Day, the celebration brought students, staff and senior leaders together to appreciate the traditions and values that connect Malaysians.

Dressed in colorful sarongs, kain batik, and kain pelikat, students, staff, and senior leaders gathered at the University of Cyberjaya (UOC) for UOC Sarong Fest ’26. The familiar garments set the scene for a Malaysia Day celebration centred on shared heritage and the people who bring it to life on campus.

Organised by the Student Experience & Support Department (SESD) in collaboration with the Student Council, the event featured student performances, patriotic songs and a lively flag parade, giving the UOC community different ways to take part in the occasion.

Students contributed as both organisers and performers, taking an active role in shaping the celebration. Their involvement, alongside the participation of staff and senior leaders, brought members of the University together beyond their usual academic and working routines.

For international students, the celebration also offered an opportunity to experience Malaysian culture alongside their local peers. The traditional attire, patriotic songs and performances provided an introduction to the country’s diversity, while Professor Azrin’s reflections on Malaysia Day helped place these experiences in the context of shared heritage and national identity.

The traditional attire connected these activities with the occasion’s wider meaning. Worn across Malaysia’s communities in different styles and known by different names, the sarong offered a familiar expression of the heritage participants had gathered to celebrate.

This idea was central to the address by Professor Dr Azrin Esmady Ariffin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Cyberjaya. Reflecting on Malaysia’s diversity, he highlighted the sarong as a simple yet meaningful symbol of how cultural traditions can connect people while allowing their distinct identities to be expressed.

Professor Azrin drew a parallel between that shared heritage and life at UOC, where students and staff from different backgrounds learn from one another, offer support and grow together. He linked this everyday experience to the University’s responsibility as an educational institution.

“As an institution of education, our responsibility goes beyond what happens in the classroom. We want to nurture individuals who appreciate our differences, respect one another and understand that progress is most meaningful when everyone has the opportunity to be part of it,” he said.

His message placed the celebration within the broader university experience, encouraging the community to carry the same respect and openness into their daily interactions. Taking time to appreciate one another’s traditions, he reminded participants, forms part of the spirit of unity and togetherness that should continue beyond Malaysia Day.

The programme concluded with the singing of the national anthem, Negaraku, bringing participants together for a final shared moment.

From the traditional attire to the student performances, UOC Sarong Fest ’26 gave the campus community an opportunity to participate in the heritage celebrated throughout the day. Professor Azrin’s message offered a simple direction beyond the occasion: to carry that sense of belonging into the way students and staff learn, work and support one another.