This study aims to explore the first rater officers’ perspectives on the application of
performance appraisal attributes in performance appraisal system in a higher education
institution in Sarawak. Six attributes were focused on the study namely clarification of the
system, justification of the system, control criteria, employee participation, system
management, and credibility of the assessor. The study uses a qualitative methodology using
semi-structured interview techniques and data analysis in thematic approach. Three
common issues are the limitation of the system’s availability, insufficient scoring
distribution towards lecturers who are involved in administrative work and limited
capability of the server. Along with that, two critical issues are the subjective judgment of
personality traits and limited utilization of the system. The implication raised based on the
issues is work processes are interrupted, employee dissatisfaction and organizational image
are affected. In conclusion, the issues within the performance appraisal system need to be
taken seriously to avoid conflicts.