Which only perpetuated bad job balance, since it wasn't critical that they make the less popular jobs able to compete in parties. Now that we have job points job balance is more important and they are, to some degree, taking steps to improve it.
Also you're forgetting that merit points aren't all job specific, the bulk of your merit points are spent on boosts that apply regardless of job.
Job points, in combination with ilvl gear, are intended as "leveling up past 99". You couldn't earn EXP on one job to level up another now, could you? How did those jobs you say can't get job points level up? If you can get to level 99 on the job, you can earn job points on the job. I see no problem here.
