Ties, gowns and wigs in Samoan courts may be a thing of the past if Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has his way.
He told reporters yesterday that he wants all branches of government to move to wearing the traditional wear of tapa design open neck shirts and lavalava, introduced by his ruling Human Rights Protection Party during the time of the late Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana.
Before the introduction of the less formal traditional wear, all government officials were expected to wear shirt and ties and even jackets, still the only form of dress within the Parliamentary debating chambers.
“I am just waiting on the Chief Justice and the Speaker of the House to see when their thinking will become Samoan,” he said.
The more casual wear is also now worn during official church services making church ministers look out of place in the more formal colonial times wear.
Even worse according to the Prime Minister is having to wear suit and tie during official ceremonies in the heat of day.
