Tan Sri Professor Emeritus Augustine S.H. Ong, who attended the University of Malaya in 1954, said the focus then was on quality rather than quantity.

The Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow said while there was a need to change the intake system, this needed to be done after careful evaluation.

"We need a platform where students can compete on the same standards. However, it is something that has to be looked at in stages."

Ong said local universities also needed to address internal weaknesses and strengthen their foundations through "policies that encourage rather than regulate".

Another UM alumni Cynthia Doss, who attended the university in 1980, also feels the centralised university intake system needed to be revamped.

Doss attributed the slide of public university rankings to the approach of producing as many graduates as possible while compromising on quality.

"There is definitely a drop in the level of English compared to when I was studying. Students then were more active and conducted discussions on various topics regularly."

Students these days tend to be introverted and shy away from discussing general issues, she said.