Levelflight,
It is for a cause,be it for a good cause or a plain mistake,we are just human.I don't believe the recruiment people intent to play a jokes on these guys. This airline has some 25,000 staff,thousands of managers,hips of department that all make decisions and communication a rather long process which may not always come out as a good one?
I can understand the your friends' lost.Please tell me which company pay all your expenses including your time for an interview? None. Furthermore,there is no guarentee that those who come for interview suits the job.There are so many expats con their way into airline flying.The airline has its reason and right to interview,screen and employ who fits its criteria.If these guys are not rated on type,they are just trying their luck.In airline environment,qualify means rated on type with operational hours.Those people got into airline as non rated are lucky as the airline must have been desperate.MAS was desperate once but things are changing fast.
I hope you don't bring this sort of outburst into the cockpit nor pass it on the people in the flight training industry.