This letter of mine is not about the upcoming elections. I want to focus on the issues related to my beloved former university, UM. It may sound weird to divert our attention from the demam pilihanraya (election fever) but I pray to all respected malaysiakini readers and those from Universiti Malaya, students or the people running the administration to at least think about the future of the university.

Recently, the vice-chancellor was interviewed on TV during the prime time about UM's "freefall" in the world ranking to no 47. Many viewers want to hear the reasons or the problems faced by UM that was once listed in the Asian top 10 universities.

What was the reply? "Tengoklah siapa yang buat ranking tu ...". A pity that such a irresponsible answer came from the tongue of a "don". If it is true UM is sliding down the ranking, what action should he take to remedy the situation? One may say the ranking does not reflect the true situation of UM but this issue will affect the university's status.

As an academician, he should see the situation as a challenge to improve UM to be more competitive. Then, he will prove the critics wrong. Such unprofessional attitude shows his ignorance towards achieving "world-class education system" vision of the country. He should welcome dialogues with the staff and students to find solution and learn how USM advances progressively under the guidance of VC Prof Dr Dzulkifli Abd Razak.

You may blame people surrounding you for not working hard to achieve world-class standard. But, please remember that it is the duty of the leader to guide the organisation. If the organisation fails to shine, its leader will solely be blamed. Vice versa, the staff should be applauded for their contribution.