I am disgusted by the use and abuse of the word "meritocracy" in the local public universities admission issue. I personally look at it as a publicity tool by politicians to fan an issue in the hope of gaining another notch further up the political ladder. They are more interested in the publicity mileage than sincerely wanting to improve the quality and standard of our graduates.

I just cannot believe that seven to eight months after the so-called "encouragement speech" by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we could produce such a remarkable turnaround back to 'meritocracy'.

The proposed switch in the medium of instruction from Bahasa Malaysia to English and the uncertainty of everything do not help at all. The ruling party simply cannot accept the reality that it made a big mistake some 27 years ago — a wrong judgment that landed our society in such a dilemma.

I really don't know what's going to happen to our education system in the future. The reports of questions leakage in the SPM/STPM examinations, and not forgetting the Certificate in Legal Practice exam fiasco, erode confidence in our very own public examinations system and the boards that oversee them.

Correct me if I am wrong, but incidents such as these do not happen during those days when the exams were conducted by the Cambridge Syndicate.

I know I am helpless in changing our education system but I know for sure I would not subject my children to an uncertain future by taking these exams. The deterioration of the quality coupled with the controversies surrounding our public education and examinations leave little to be desired.

Unfortunately, it takes many years to realise the rot in an education system and most unfortunately, it is the innocent students and society who eventually pay for the follies of the administration.