This is the first impression that you get from the new system, but I think that this is not true. Lower ranks don't need so many merits to rank up, and if they do quality posts they are likely to get them. Of course, the merit system may slow down their rank climbing, but I don't see this as a problem.
This is however more true for members who are already middle-high ranked and are now close to their next rank. They have spent months or years to gain their activity points and now suddenly they are now missing the equivalent merit points, which will take them other months or years to gain. This is the aspect of the reform which should still be fine-tuned.