Paper 1 Section B: Continuous Writing

Argumentative Essays

1. A working woman makes a useless mother. State your view.

To say that a working woman makes a useless mother is a chauvinistic statement. We are
currently living in a gender-equal society. It is therefore unfair and unfathomable to see that same
people still believe women should stay at home instead of working or that women cannot do both.

If working women makes useless mothers, are we saying that prominent female figures
such as President of Germany, Horst Koehler, President Arroyo from the Philippines and Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher from United Kingdom are all terrible monsters? If they are, how can
they lead the nation? It goes to show that women are capable of managing thief cancer and family
at the same time.

Besides that, working women are more rational, tolerant and patient. In fact, they are more
knowledgeable too. Working in a challenging environment enables women to become more
versatile. That helps tremendously for women to handle the challenges faced at home.

Moreover, working mothers are more understanding. They are more eager to listen to their
children because they have less time to spend with the young ones. They appreciate more of the
quality time that they get to spend with the family. In other words, working mothers can become
good if not better mothers. In addition to this, working mothers are more confident. They are
financially independent so they can support themselves and the family instead of depending
entirely on the husbands. Therefore, working mothers are also a good role model for thief children
because of their confidence and independence.

Not only that, working women posses the ability to maintain a happy household if only the
husband is willing to share the responsibility. In fact, if working mothers are really not doing their
job right, then the fathers ought to share the blame. Marriage is a partnership between husband
and wife. Therefore, if the husband is the only bread winner and the wife is left at home taking
care of the household, it is not much of the partnership at all.

Finally, working women learn to multitask which is an important skill to be applied while
managing their home. It is not an easy skill but most working women seem to be able to pull it
through. We must salute these magnificent women for trying so hard in doing so much.

All in all, working women can be great mothers. Their hard work and effort should be
acknowledged and appreciated for they are the mothers of our children and with their caring and
motherly hands, they shape the future of our life.
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2. Women can be the breadwinner in a home. Discuss.

Men, we assume, feel compelled to bring in the main wage. It is what defines them as a
hunter-gatherer; it has always been so. That is why when news reports emerged that men in
Britain now earn less than their partners has come as something of a shock.

One would think that these men would feel emasculated but this is a false assumption that
they are quite happy to let their spouse? Take up the financial reins and they take on a more
relaxed pace of life.

What of the women? Women can be happy with the new situation as they may enjoy being
in the financial hot seat because it gave them more say on how the money was spent. They begin
K h​ ave more autonomy which they hadn't in the past. It can be quite common enough to see
women earn more than their partners. And it's getting more common as time goes on.

The skills that women bring into the workforce are more appreciated than they once were.
There is much more value put or the ability to juggle many balls, the ability to establish rapport and
build up relationships as so many jobs these days are dependent on mat and women have the
edge in that regard. Of course, they ma> pose a threat to their male bosses and they face greater
pressure to perform within the corporate arena. However, companies are looking solely at the
return on their investment and they are getting a better return from women than they are from men.
The skills and the talents that are needed to succeed, are more and more the ones that women
possess.

How would men take this shift in power? Some men are probably fine with this; others not
as they were raised to believe that they were the hunter-provider. Even today in kids’ literature, the
princess is always waiting for a prince to rescue her; there is never talk of her being the managing
director of marketing. It's tough for these men to realise that, for whatever reason, they can't
provide right now and it affects their confidence as they may feel inadequate somehow.

Logically, if a woman in the home brings in more money, shouldn't the men stay at home
and care for the children and the home and many men do well in fact. It cannot be denied that not
every man is made to stay at home. It would depend on the person's personality as well.

When all is said and done, the option for women to be the breadwinner and men to stay at
home should be looked at from a positive viewpoint. If the two parties can come to an agreement,
then there is no bone of contention about women being the breadwinners of the home.
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3. The government should not continue with compulsory national service. Do you agree?

Compulsory national service in Malaysia is implemented for 18-year-old school leavers. In

my opinion, national service is good for them. For one, it is a good way for them to spend the three
month break while waiting for their examination results.

During the programme, the trainees learn a lot of things like national ideology and history.
The objectives are to instill in them qualities like loyalty, tolerance of others and living in harmony
in a multi-racial society. The trainees will come out of the three month's national service stronger
and much more thoughtful.

At home, they tend to take their home comforts and family members for granted. During the
training, they live in camps away from their family. While at the camps, they gain a lot in terms of
becoming more independent and disciplined. These are good traits to acquire. And such traits will
stay with the young people.

One cannot deny that national service is a great way for Malaysian youths to channel their
energy, especially while waiting for their SPM results. After all, three months is not a long time
compared to Singapore, whose government implements their national service for two years. Our
government has worked hard to make national service a success. Moreover, it provides them with
essential skills in life. Not only will they learn more about their own country, but it will also build
their confidence, teach them to cooperate in a group and mix with people of other ethnic
backgrounds.

To those school-leavers who seldom mix with other races, this is then" chance to do so.
They should take it as a challenge. After all, the whole idea of National Service is not so much to
instill a sense of patriotism but more a sense of discipline, courtesy and civic consciousness,
which is very lacking in a lot of young Malaysians.

As for the argument that school-leavers are going to college three months later, this is rather
insignificant. Many school-leavers do not join a college straight away after leaving school.
Moreover, the trainees learn a lot of skills and knowledge during the national service. It certainly is
not a waste of time. In fact, it is a very good experience for school leavers before they proceed to
colleges for a tertiary education.

Considering these benefits of compulsory national service, I am convinced that it should not
be stopped. What should be done instead is to improve the period of training to include a more
challenging curriculum which our youths really need.
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Descriptive Essays
4. Describe what you understand about success and explain why.

Everybody knows failure is a painful experience. To see all that hard work go to waste is
sometimes too much to bear. To counter the soul-sapping effects of failure, you need
perseverance and an iron will. This is a story of someone I know who has these qualities. Despite
failing, he had never lost hope. In the end, he succeeded and he took with him some of his friends.

His name is Saiful, a bright energetic young man with one very damning weakness. He was
lazy. On his SPM year, he neglected his studies. He always thought he could wait one more day
before beginning his revisions. He took things way too easy and did not take his coming exams
seriously at all. He had his head in the clouds and his friends did nothing to snap him out of his
dream. It was no surprise that he failed his exam and he had no one else to blame but himself. He
failed all the subjects he sat for except for Bahasa Melayu.

What did surprise everyone though is how quickly he got out of his guilt filled torpor. I asked
him about it later and he admitted to being sad, but at the same time he felt it was too late for
regrets. It was time to move on and forget about the waster year. A new year and a new challenge
awaits, he said. He immediately registered for the examination for the next year as a private
candidate. He went on a tour, apologizing to all the teachers who had ever taught him. He begged
them to set up extra classes for him so he could catch up, studying two years-worth of knowledge
in only one. His teachers were happy to sec the change, professing their faith in him.

He went to see his old friends and tried to persuade them to join him on his personal quest.
Sadly, most of them were still lost in the clouds and were not interested in his proposal. He talked
to them about how bad it felt to fail and his impassioned tale managed to turn some of them to his
cause. Unfortunately, the majority ignored him as they preferred to do other things besides
studying.

Yet, this did not deter his burning spirit. He had a target and he refused to be side-tracked.
He remembered the disappointment in his mother's face when he showed her the exam slip and
he vowed never to make her mother feel that way ever again.

With the support from the teachers, the blessings of his family and sacrifices he made
himself, he managed to pass on his second try. He achieved three As in Bahasa Melayu, History
and Religious Studies and passing Credits for all the other subjects. He had made his teachers
and his parents proud. More importantly, he had made himself proud.

He was happy and content with his achievement but being a good person, he did not stop
there. He continued to try to help the young kids in the community and ingrain in them the
importance of education. Lucky for me, I was one of his lost children who managed to come to his
senses. Now, 1 am helping him talk to other kids who were just like me not too long ago.
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5. Describe your school sports day.

Last Friday, our school was like a busy hive. There was a sense of purpose and
determination on many students' faces. They were dressed to conquer and their races were
decked out in their respective sports house's colours. The students of last year's overall winners
were seen pacing up and down the running tracks. Some stood around in little buddies, probably
discussing strategy- The rest were seen in lines while various groups were crowded around the
stadium.

Colourful banners and bunting were seen fluttering in the breeze. The teachers looked very
relaxed in their sports attire and even Mrs Loke, our principal, who usually looked very classy in
her two-piece suit, still managed to look very trendy in her large Paris Hilton sunglasses. Everyone
looked ready. It was tune for our annual school sports day to begin!

The day started with the march pass of the sports houses, Mercury, Jupiter, Mare, Apollo
and Saturn. They looked very smart and nice indeed. This was followed by the singing of the
national anthem 'Negaraku' and the school song. Everyone sang with vigour and gusto. Then, the
raising of the school flag and the sports day flag was carried out by the representatives of the
Scouts and Girl Guides. Finally, Mrs Loke gave her speech and the students cheered. It was
official, the school sports day had been officially launched and a great cheer went up from the
school's crowd.

The first event for the day was the 400 m race. This was followed by various events like the
long jump, the shot-putt and other races. By 10.00 a.m., most of the students had tired lines on
their faces. The heat of the day was beginning to take its toll on some of the participants. The
team of St John Ambulance and the Red Crescent members were kept busy running back and
forth with injured participants and so forth.

Finally, the most anticipated time of the day arrived - the moment of announcing the
winners. It was a tense moment as our guest of honour. Datuk Jonathan Yee, gave his speech
and praised the students for their perseverance, positive attitude and sportsmanship. Some of the
students just wanted him to get over with his speech so that the winner could be announced.

"The winner is... the house of Mars!" Mrs Loke's voice rung out loud and clear. A burst of
hoorays and cheers resounded through the blue camp. After four years of taking the second
place, it was official, the sports house, Mars, had wrested the coveted champion's trophy from the
other houses. It was certainly a day to remember. After all, I was the captain of the Mars sports
house!
SPMSureSkor.com 5
 
FACTUAL / EXPOSITORY
6. Caring for our old folks.

Malaysia can be considered to be a young nation. This is because at the present moment
about 5% of our population is above 65 years of age and by 2020 this figure is expected to
increase by 2%.

Nevertheless caring for our old folks is still a problem as improved public health facilities will
sec an increase in life expectancy. The main problem with the elderly is in finding people to care
for them. In the past, this was not a problem because many Asian families lived under one roof.
There were several generations living together and there were always people to look after the very
young and the very old. Today, the scenario has changed tremendously and the extended family
is a thing of the past.

The young in urban areas today, are very concerned about space and privacy. Urban
houses, these days, are designed such that there is only room for one nuclear family, a couple
and perhaps two kids. Besides, it is not fashionable these days to have their folks living with them.
When there is not much space, the elderly was certainly not welcome. Besides, the care of the
elderly was traditionally a woman's job. Women looked after their own parents and parents-in-law.
Today, however, many women go out to work and in this sense, the task of finding people to
provide care becomes a problem.

In the face of such problems, solutions have to be found. The best solution appears to be
the inculcation of strong family values among the young. Filial piety needs to be preached again
among the young. The government, on the other hand, should help by redefining the housing
policy in order to cater for the needs of elderly parents in an extended family.

Next, charitable organisations can help bring in the funding to help care-givers operate
homes for the old folks that are better equipped. The authorities, on the other hand have the
responsibility of improving conditions in such institutions. Places such as these need to be
monitored and care-givers need to be given professional training.

In conclusion, many of our senior citizens have spent their youth giving to and serving the
country. Therefore, in their old age, it is only right that society returns the debt owed to them.
SPMSureSkor.com 6
 
7. The advantages of sports in schools.

Sport is a misunderstood word. The mere word of sport evoke images of athletics, javelins,
hurdles and even swimming as well as rhythmic gymnastics. The word sport does not merely
mean a competition. This is truly a myopic view of sport. Sports, generally refer to activities done,
mostly outdoors for the sake of amusement and exercise.

Everyone should indulge in one sport or another as sports keeps us occupied and we can
spend our leisure time fruitfully. There are many advantages of sports in schools.

Firstly, sports increases and strengthens the immunity system. As we exercise regularly,
our bodies become stronger and the blood circulation is efficient. Accordingly, the organs function
well and the person feels healthy. Thus, exercising increases our well-being and total fitness. On
the other hand, people who lead sedentary lives and do not exercise are prone to diseases such
as hypertension, diabetes and coronary diseases. Thus, to avoid these ‘silent killers’, we should
exercise.

Sports can help us reduce weight. Obesity is dangerous as it is the 'gateway' to all fatal
diseases. When one embarks on a 30-minute exercise program, he or she will experience weight
lost. This is because there is an increase in the metabolic rate causing the body to burn more
calories. This in turn will tone and develop muscles. Incidentally, the heart, which is also it muscle,
is strengthened with exercises. Hence, the heart is able- to pump blood efficiently. Thus, you
become healthier.

In addition, when we have a healthy society we have citizen who are physically and
mentally healthy. This is because when one concentrates on exercising and reaps the benefits of
exercising, he or she begins to take a positive outlook towards life. He begins to appreciate life
and stays away from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs which are enemies of a healthy society.

What's more, they will be so caught up in sports, that the social ills that are rampant now
may be reduced immensely. The 'loitering' or 'skinhead' culture can be dealt with. Instead, we will
be able to raise a healthy generation that is socially, physically and mentally healthy.

The positive quality that students learn through sports is also commendable. They learn the
importance of team spirit. They realize that they need everyone's effort to win. Indirectly, they
learn tolerance, co-operation and team play. They learn to give and take as well as appreciate
one's talent and credibility. Thus, these students, the future leaders, learn good qualities that help
build their personality especially in their budding years.

School is an institution that focuses on physical, mental and social development to develop
wholesome and balanced individuals. Since sports are able to instill many positive qualities, sports
should be emphasized in schools from the very beginning. Hence, by adopting good qualities
through sports, we can envisage that the society that is going to helm our country is one that has
all the qualities we desire and aspire in our leaders.

In a nutshell, sports should be made compulsory right from preschool. By facing the healthy
challenges that are apparent in sports, our future generation is being moulded to display the
qualities we aspire in our future leaders.
SPMSureSkor.com 7
 
8. Families that play together stay together.

When you think back to your childhood, what kinds of memories do you conjure up? The
day your father chased after the ice cream truck so that you could get that special treat you
wanted so badly? Or maybe on the Christmas, morning when you opened up the present you
didn't think you'd get, but turns out "Santa" had come through for you.

Numerous studies have shown that the strongest childhood memories are those associated
with family. It only makes sense, after all, your mother, father, sisters and brothers are the people
you spent the most time with while you were growing up.

Children are involved in clubs and devote most of their times towards their friends and other
things to do with school. In all this hustle and bustle of daily life and your daily routines, families
are having a harder time to have family dinners. Having family dinners with the whole and
complete family used to be a no-brainer and something that most people believed in. But with the
conflicting schedules, the longer-lists of things to do and jobs of high school teenagers, where is
the family time that is needed? Indeed, experts in the psychology field agree that having family
dinners or some kind of family bonding at least once a week will contribute to a close-knit family,
among other benefits. But do families always find the time to do this? It seems that there is always
something else to do rather than to spend quality time with your family.

However, family time does not always have lo mean sitting down together for dinner. Even
though this has been the traditional case and example of a good family, there is definitely more to
do than have dinner. One decision may be devote a specific night of the week or weekend to a
family movie or a movie that the family will all enjoy. The experience offers much-needed family
bonding.

Sometimes, it may become a sacrifice for parents to try and keep commitments of a family
vacation. It can be financially challenging at times too. It has also proven to be a challenge of
scheduling as children grow older and have more things that have demanded their time.

However, the sacrifices of personal time have benefits. The value of just ‘playing’ together
has proven to be one of our biggest ‘staying’ factors when it comes to building our cohesive family
unit.

Parents too will become a bigger influence on their children than the other massive forces
of the external world pulling at them. By playing together, direction is given and that helps the
family unit remain the focus of our world today. It offers direction to the family that can give us
more peace and happiness in our lives. I believe that it is the secret to a happy family.
SPMSureSkor.com 8
 
NARRATIVE
9. Write about an incident in which you acted irresponsibly.

It was a bright Saturday morning and I was sitting at my computer happily clicking away at
my favourite computer game, when I heard my mother calling me urgently. Reluctantly, I paused
the game to find out what she wanted.

She complained of having a migraine, so she wanted to rest. She handed me RM550 and
asked me to bank the money in, as she had just issued a few cheques the previous day.

My face turned sour. I had missed playing at the computer for the past two weeks because
of my monthly tests. Going on this errand would mean not being able to continue my game as I
had Biology tuition in two hours’ time.

“You have to take Eileen along. You know noisy she can be and really need to rest,” Mum
told me.

What? Did I also have to take my pesky younger sister along? I started to protest, but a
stern look from my mother shut me up. I snatched the money and her bankbook quickly, and went
out of the house with Eileen.

I was muttering under my breath all the way to the bank. As I approached the bank, I saw
some friends and decided to stop and chat with them. After all, it would only take minutes but this
soon lengthened into thirty minutes.

Eileen was bored with all the chatting and left my side. I was too engrossed with conversing
with friends to notice her missing until a loud screech of brakes made me turn my head.

What I saw made my blood freeze. Eileen was standing in the middle of the busy road, with
a car just an inch or two away from her. She got such a fright that she fell down and started crying.

By now, many vehicles had stopped and there was a lot of commotion. I rushed over to
Eileen and picked her up. One driver rolled down his window and rudely shouted, “Hey, have
enough sense not to let a child out alone in such busy traffic! What an irresponsible girl you are!”

I felt tears stinging my eyelids and tried to blink them away, but deep inside, I knew I
deserved such a harsh reprimand.

Eileen had grazed her knee when she fell. I took her to a nearby pharmacy to get some
Dettol and band – aid. By the time I finished treating her injury, the bank had already closed. I
knew I was going to be in deep trouble, because my mother had stressed the importance of
banking in the money that day. Boy, did I get a dose of my mother’s sharp tongue.

“Lydia, I’m most disappointed with you. I thought you were more responsible than that. Not
only have you not banked in the money as I asked, but Eileen got hurt under your care. I’ll have to
ground you for two weeks.”

On Monday, my mother received word that two of her cheques had bounced so she had to
pay some fines. I was grounded for another week, but being grounded was nothing compared to
the remorse I felt at behaving so irresponsibly, and nearby causing a tragedy in my family.

SPMSureSkor.com 9
 
PROVERB
10. ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’. Describe an experience when this was true for you.

I live in a five-storey walk-up flat. Since it is nut a self-contained area, I used to go to the
supermarket every Saturday to get all my provisions for a week. As my Proton Wira was just
slightly over two months old. I would wait until late in the evening when the rush-hour traffic would
dwindle. Then, driving along the roads and highways would actually be a pleasure.

It way on one of these Saturday evenings while I was cruising along the Federal Highway,
that I found my car suddenly veering to the left. I pulled over by the side of the road to inspect my
vehicle. I discovered that I had a flat tyre. I did not have the slightest idea of how to change a
punctured tyre. ​Gosh, I am stranded, I thought. 1 felt vulnerable and terribly alone. I had been fed
with all kinds of facts and fiction about what an unsafe place the city was, with all sorts of shady
characters wailing to prey and pounce on isolated targets especially ladies.

A number of vehicles whizzed past me, nobody stopped to find out if I needed any help.
Night was creeping in. All of a sudden, a grey jalopy pulled over just behind my car. A heavy-set
man in overalls alighted from the car. I took in his shabby appearance - stained overalls, unkempt
hair and his stubble of grey and white.

'What's wrong?' he asked. 'A flat tyre.' was the only retort I could manage. He asked me to
step aside, while he went about remedying matters. I was terrified and I did not dare take my eyes
off what he was doing. Was he going to rob me of my cash and jewelry or was he going to drive off
in my brand new car? I occasionally stole surreptitious glances at what he was doing. With deft
movements, he changed the punctured tyre.

'O.K. Madam, here's your car. Have a nice journey,' he said with a big grin. He fished out a
handkerchief from his pocket and started to wipe out the grime and dirt from his hands. I thanked
him profusely. He just nodded and sauntered past me. As I turned the key in the ignition, I saw him
looking over his shoulder to make sure that everything was all right. As I made my way to my
destination. I told myself that I will never again judge a book by its cover.
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