Universiti Malaya prides itself as the premier university. It is also very proud of the fact that it is ranked 89th amongst the top 100 universities in the world. The university has obtained ISO certification.

But despite its achievements, the university seems to have difficulties finding qualified people for staff positions. At one of the faculties, the dean appointed a staff member, who is currently a registered postgraduate student at the faculty, to be the acting dean while he is away.

As acting dean, the individual has access to all the students' confidential information, including her own and those of her friends and colleagues. Why is a postgraduate student appointed as acting dean when there are others who are more qualified to carry the responsibility?

Another major blunder at the faculty is the appointing of someone who may not have the right qualifications to the post of the deputy dean of the postgraduate programme. The rules of the university states that a non-PhD holder should not be allowed to supervise PhD students.

Does the current deputy dean of postgraduate programme - an Associate Professor - have a PhD? The individual was appointed to the post of Associate Professor on a contract basis. The individual does not have any experience supervising PhD students and yet sits on a committee that requires this person to evaluate PhD theses and makes decisions about whether a candidate has fulfilled the requirements to be awarded a PhD degree.

How can someone who is not even considered as qualified to supervise PhD students be considered qualified to decide on whether a candidate should be awarded a PhD degree? Wouldn't that compromise the quality of PhD graduates produced by the faculty?

As far as I know, the faculty has several lecturers who are doctorates and who are more qualified to evaluate PhD theses. Such blunders should not happen at a university that prides itself to be a centre of excellence.

What is happening at the faculty is disgraceful, and as a former student, I am deeply ashamed. I hope the top management of the university would look into this matter and take steps to rectify it before people start to question the credibility of its management team and the quality of its graduates.