New Higher Education Minister Mustapha Mohamad must appoint an accomplished academic as Universiti Malaya's (UM) new vice-chancellor, said Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

Lim said that present UM Vice-Chansellor Dr Hashim Yaacob, whose contract expires end of this month, should be replaced with someone else who is internationally recognised for his academic credentials and not "political expediency".

Branding Hashim as a 'world-reknowned billboard vice-chancellor', Lim said the former was a stumbling block to Mustapha's goal of making two public universities among the world's top 50 institutions.

Independent search committee

Previously, various billboards and banners were erected in various parts of the university celebrating the institution's success in various fields based on the rankings of the world's top 200 university by the Times Higher Education Supplement (Thes) in 2005.

This was done in spite of the university being ranked 169, slipping 80 places from the year before. Hashim also defended the university's performance, adding that UM was given excellent grades by Thes in three out of five university categories in the survey.

Hashim was later rapped by then Deputy Higher Education Minister Fu Ah Kiow for the 'celebration'.

"Mustapha should instil public confidence by keeping to the pledge to establish an independent search committee to fill all vacancies for the post of vice-chancellor for all universities, drawing membership primarily from retired academics of repute," said Lim in a statement today.