First of all, thank you USM for letting us graduate in DTSP physically and releasing the SOPs.
However, after almost two years of preparation, we can certainly do better than this.

Our demands are totally practicable and can be achieved. The following actions have been done by more than one university & college around Malaysia and have been proven to be workable.

1. Let our parents watch us receive our scroll
Parents can be sitting in the Dewan Kuliah / DUP or any other lecture halls with SOPs implemented, and watching us receiving the scrolls through a livestreamed video. Many of us have already purchased flight tickets, booked hotels for our family, spent thousands just for a "memorable graduation". Denying their entry or letting them sit inside the car is just inhumane and inconsiderate at all.

2. Extend the robe-returning deadline & allow us to take photos after the ceremony
We have waited for 2 years for this graduation to happen and we want it to be as memorable as possible. These are the people we had been with for 3/4 years and we couldn't even take a picture with them after this? Even our family members who had supported us all this time and are proud of our achievements? This is simply not making any sense. We should be able to enjoy our graduation, just like the pre-pandemic graduates.

What we are asking now is not ridiculous or too much. They have been proven to be workable in other universities, so why not our beloved APEX-status USM? What we are demanding is just our basic rights. We paid for the convocation fees in our previous semester and we should be given the equivalent treatment.

In short, we would very much like USM to reconsider and revise the SOPs. We are grateful for this opportunity but we believe there should be some flexibility on the SOPs with students' anticipation for this important ceremony and rights to have an accustomed ceremony in mind. Nothing more, nothing less.

Some comments taken from YouTube, Facebook & WhatsApp for your consideration:
1. This is a little disheartening considering that USM has an abundance of halls that could be used to cater to our parents. I understand that they cannot physically be at DTSP in worry of infection but c'mon. Requiring our parents to wait at the parking doesn't make sense when they should be equally there to see us receive our scrolls. Additionally, it does seem a little ridiculous that we return our robes and motars right after the ceremony when graduates would prehaps want to take pictures for the sake of memories. Denying us that is downright cruel. I hope USM will look into this. We have had two years to prepare proper SOPs. We can do better.

2. As a parent, after I watched this SOP Vid, I felt sad because I thought we could be a part of it, even if we could only watch through the big screen (and of course with SOP controls). I only have one child, and I've been waiting a long time to see my daughter receive a degree. I am a bit disappointed, but I would be very grateful if USM reconsidered this matter. Thank you.

3. Maaf usm saya selaku ex usm sendiri merasakan segala prosedur ni patutnya boleh dibaiki dan ditambahbaik semula. Pertama, berkenaan pembayaran deposit yang terlalu tinggi rm300 pulak tu, pelajar dah habis setahun lebih dh degree baru depa nk konvo. Seingat saya deposit jubah tak sampai 300 dulu kenapa di saat covid ni usm seolah tidak mempertimbangkan keadaan pelajar? Sudahnya tak convo lagi ada yg tak ambik skroll lagi belum lagi bab tak dapat lagi kerja dalam keadaan covid ni. Tolong consider keadaan dan kesusahan pelajar pada era pandemik ni. Kedua, berkenaan jubah pulak seingat saya dulu2 konvo pelajar boleh pegang jubah sampai sebulan ada yang siap bawak balik ke negeri masing2 ke kampung semua untuk tunjukkan dekat keluarga. Kenapa kali ni tidak raikan pelajar seolah convo kali ini membebankan usm sangat. Belum dikira baju terus dipulangkan, mereka juga mahu meraikan convo mereka setelah setahun lebih usm tak buat convo. Ni berlaku dekat isteri saya sendiri sudahnya baru nak convo tahun ini dia sendiri pun dah habis master baru nak buat berbanding uni lain. Bila dibuat pulak mengenakan pelbagai syarat ketat, bayaran deposit yang terlalu tinggi malah tidak benarkan waris masuk ke universiti. Ketiga, apa justifikasi pelajar menaiki bas bersama bukankah ia boleh merisikokan pelajar juga? Sedangkan mereka memang datang dalam keadaan 2 dos vaksin jika berlaku kes atas sebab naik bas ni adakah pihak yang membuat prosedur ini akan bertanggungjawab? Keempat, berkenaan waris tak boleh masuk. Kenapa tak buat je wakil waris boleh melihat di sekitar dewan kuliah2 yang ada limited 1 orang pun takpe dah dengan penjarakan? Mereka ada yang datang dari jauh ada yang keluar banyak wang semata mata mahu menghantar anak untuk convocation. Diharapkan pihak yg buat prosedur ni pertimbangkan dan perhalusi dengan lebih baik. Dah setahun lebih, lewat convo kesian dekat pelajar dan ibu bapa. Takde sapa mintak pandemik berlaku dan mahu susahkan usm tapi tolong jaga kebajikan pelajar. This is too much.

4. My dearest respected USM convocation PIC, USM is SO BIG! SO MANY LECTURE HALLS SO MANY OPEN SPACE available in this huge USM. How can you dare to ask our respected parents the one who waited so long to see us, WAIT IN THE CAR or LEAVE USM during our convocation?
I believe you have a better idea or suggestions on how to make our family enjoy this occasion too..
To be honest, I don't really want to attend the convocation, but my parents are the one persuade me to go so they can watch this. I really hope that you can reconsider the SOP. Take a look at other university ceremony, UM for example had done this event.
Please please please reconsider the SOP especially for our lovely family members, or at least parents. Please.

5. I really hope USM would reconsider this procedure. Kenapa tak buka dewan kuliah dekat dk foyer untuk keluarga tengok session thru big screen (with SOPs of course)? Parents datang dari jauh nak tangkap gambar semua. Batchmates dah lama tak jumpa nak celebrate the moment together. We’ve waited long enough, please USM.