"How could a University that neglect the importance of meritocracy, and practicing favoritism at the same time, will ever move forward to compete with other reputable universities around the world?"
What made USM so special for being an Apex university? What made USM even qualified for that prestigious title and benefits?
First of all, being an Apex university would mean more autonomy than other local public universities who are under direct authority by the government. They get to make more wise and independent decisions, and have pledged to steer USM towards outstanding performance, challenging the conventional style of managing an academic institution that failed to increase reputations of our public universities.
The ultimate purpose of all these extra-funding-and-self-autonomy thingy is to push USM to becoming Malaysia’s first world-class university. They are boasting to the nation that they will become a university that retains Malaysia’s finest brains and potentials.
However, I am in doubt now, if USM has the primary qualifications to call itself an apex university. When the first batch of shortlisted applicants of the first Malaysian Apex University were revealed, voices of anger and disappointment can be heard throughout the country.
Many of the top STPM scorers have been rejected a place in USM. Many of the STPM students with 4.0 CGPA and good co-curricular activity participation FAILED miserably in their attempts to get a place in USM. That is the disappointment. Its not unfamiliar for local public universities to practice quota system in their intake of students, but most people still find it hard to accept the fact that this happened to USM, the Apex University that vowed to be the center of excellence in academic studies.
The anger part that follow next is the news of some Pre U leavers, with CGPA 3.7, can easily get into Pharmacy course in USM. Some have secured a place in Dentistry even with CGPA as low as 3.0.
Although the interview and co curricular marks are vital weights in the applications, I do not believe that ALL matrikulasi leavers who could not even score higher than 3.5 can perform any better in co curricular activities. Matrikulasi students spend only about 9 months in studies, where as STPM students need to combat heavy workloads every day, for 1 and a half year.
Yet, top STPM achievers were being denied by USM that obviously favor Matrikulasi students and also a tiny bit of STPM leavers who underperformed in their studies. The cream of STPM who endured so much of hardships and also achieved the best results in the whole country are not rewarded and appreciated by USM. They are now at least 10 STPM leavers who scored a CGPA of 4.0 being cruelly rejected for Pharmacy course at the Apex University. More victims of this “backward policies” implemented by USM have yet to voice out their distress, and disbelief.
How could a University that neglect the importance of meritocracy, and practicing favoritism at the same time, will ever move forward to compete with other reputable universities around the world? Is the promise to bring USM to the top 50 universities in the world by year 2020 a feasible goal? Or is it merely a government’s propaganda to mask their miserable failure to ‘upgrade’ our local public universities?
Is USM becoming worse than it used to be under the influences of biased, unfair and non-merit education policies?
How can I ever be convinced to believe that USM is an Apex University?