USM vice-chancellor Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan said the committee will scrutinise the level of integrity currently practised throughout the examination process.

“In order to uphold our integrity and safeguard the good name of the university, USM has established an external committee to ensure the system and process (of examination) is conducted with credibility,” he said in a statement.

This comes after a postgraduate medical student recently alleged favouritism, bullying and discrimination by some lecturers and professors at the university.

According to a report by Malaysiakini, the student claimed examination questions were leaked to favoured students while other students were often given low grades.

Faisal said the university had conducted an internal inquiry into the matter but found that the examination process had been carried out in a “thorough manner regulated by strict procedures”.

He added that the external committee would provide a report of its findings to the university soon.