University ranking is not everything according to the Dean of School of Languages, Literacies and Translation Professor Ambigapathy Pandian.

Commenting on the recent release of the QS Asian University Rankings 2010, the professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) said that its university is not obsessed over its ranking because of the many flaws in the ranking methodology.

"We don't believe in the ranking system because there are a lot flaws and the criteria changes all the time," he clarified although USM had retained its ranking at number 62 from 2009.

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The educator with 20 years of experience explained that instead of its ranking, one should focus on the efficiency of the university's role to fulfil the need of the nation and educate its community.

"As long as we can educate our sons and daughters and enable them to find good occupations, the ranking is not important," he added that scholarships and educating poor students are the real issues faced by universities but are not included in the ranking criteria.

usm apex university 040908 dzulkifli abdul razak, mohamed khaled nordin and ani arope

Reportedly, USM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Razak (far left) said that the university had formally informed QS that it was not participating in any of its rankings because of the methodological flaws.

Professor Ambigapathy is confident that the local universities are not in such dire state as painted by some politicians.

"We are trying very hard to improve ourselves and produce more high quality students. Majority of our students and lecturers are up to par internationally and the fact that we are attracting a lot of foreign students shows that we are doing well," he said adding that politicians should not meddle into the education system as this is not their specialty.

Local universities no direction

Meanwhile prominent historian and Universiti Malaya (UM) Professor Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim feels that the drop in the ranking is because the management in universities does not know how to improve themselves.

"They (management) do not seem to know what is needed to raise the standard of our universities," he claimed that they have neglected to take the trouble to find out exactly what is wrong.

The veteran educator lamented that UM used to have top class professors of high international standing, but now he said that things are different as younger lecturers are favoured over the experienced older ones.

"Older lecturers have more experience and international exposure, hence we can contribute more," he said suggesting that this could help to promote the quality of the students produced.

If things continue as it is, he said that in the next five years he will be "crying" over the state of our local universities.

He added that those in the authority must take the blame for the drop in its ranking.

NONE Veteran DAP parliamentary leader echoed the same sentiments and claimed that the continued drop of the Malaysian universities in Asia is part of larger disease of Malaysia becoming the ‘sick man of South-East Asia', resulting in economic stagnation and national decline in the past decade.

He said that UM was ranked 10 th in 2004 but it has now fallen further to number 42 in Asia; overtaken by more than 30 other Asian universities in a space of six years!

"During my schooldays in the fifties, students do not think about foreign universities unless their results were good or their parents have a lot of money.

This was because UM, was recognized internationally as one of the world-class universities," he said in the Sibu by-election media centre today.

But today, he claimed that the first option of Malaysian students is to get placed in foreign universities whereas local placing in local universities is their last choice, due to the drop and declining standards and prestige of Malaysian universities.

"This is not progress but going backwards," he added.