A good university plays an important role in creating an advance country. That is where you can nurture great minds. The graduates will in turn become an important part of the future society. Just look back at our history, how many great people are from prestigious universities against those who didn't? Ranking might not be the only definitive way to see the quality of an university, but the fact remains that not just UM, but other universities in Malaysia are currently sliding down in terms of quality. This does not bold well for Malaysia's effort to be included in the list of developed countries.

P.S. If you're not bothered with ranking, why wouldn't you try for local uni? That is unless you're facing the same trouble as the TS's relatives.