Section A: Directed Writing
(35 marks)
(Time suggested : 45 minutes)
There are many gangsterism cases happen in your school lately. As the Head Prefect of the school, you have been
asked by the Principal to write an article to alert students about gangsterism.
Use the following notes to write out the article.
Causes of gangsterism - lack of parental love
- peer group influence
- negative exposure of mass media
- no specific rules and strict enforcement
Effects of gangsterism - society – insecure - threatened
- parents – badly treated - community
- individual – traumatic experience - death
- school – bad image – indiscipline cases
Ways to prevent gangsterism - seek advice - school counsellors
- conduct - programs – long-term benefits
- enforce - strict rules - punishments
- instil – positive values- educational
When writing your article, you should remember:
give your article a title
include the name of the writer
use all the notes given
Note : For your article, you will receive up to 15 marks for the format and content points and
up to 20 marks for the quality of your writing.
SAMPLE ANSWER ON ARTICLE [JOHOR TRIAL 2018]
Curbing the Widespread of Gangsterism in Schools to the Core!
Written by: Marry Anne Abdullah
Have you ever heard of a case in which a junior was extorted by the seniors? Extortion is one example of the
plethora forms of gangsterism alongside bullying and vandalism, to name a few. Gangsterism can be defined as
misdemeanour or mischievous acts perpetrated by the delinquents. To our surprise, this act of mischief has become
a growing concern among all walks of life, be it the parents, teachers and the society due to the ramifications it has
caused.
One of the contributing factors of gangsterism is the lack of parental love [C1]. Teenagers are at the phase of
life in which they need to be monitored the most. Teenagers whose parents are preoccupied with work will resort to
rebellious acts in order to gain attention. Additionally, peer group influence [C2] is undeniably one of the reasons
too. Teenagers often involve in gangsterism because they want to seek protection from the superior groups. Instead
of being the victim, they opt to be the bullies. On the other hand, the advancement of technology has indirectly
contributed to the gangsterism cases due to the negative exposure of the mass media [C3]. Teenagers are easily
influenced with their surroundings including whatever is shown on the television or websites regardless of the
negative consequences it offers them. At present days, having a smartphone is no longer surprising, yet it has
become a norm. Nevertheless, are we aware of the disadvantages it has? Everybody has the answer for that. Apart
from that, the absence of specific rules and strict enforcement set by the authorities has triggered the hike in
gangsterism cases since those gangsters think that they are not bound to any law resulting them to face the music
for their delinquencies.
Now, let’s move on to the repercussions of gangsterism. So how does it affect the society at large? The
society might feel insecure for being threatened [C5] by the gangsters themselves. These gangsters are not only
circulating in school, yet they can be anywhere. Having your car mirror smashed or tyre punctured can be among the
effects if you ever try confronting them for their misconduct. The parents are the ones who will be misjudged the
most. It is so unfair when they will be badly treated by the community [C6] for failing to nurture the kids into well-
mannered human beings. On the other hand, gangsterism has most importantly affected the victims. Any individuals
who have become the prey of gangsterism will face traumatic experience especially when it comes to fatal physical
injuries that may lead to death [C7]. Sometimes, being too pressured and traumatized may cause the victims to
commit suicide as a way to end their horrendous nightmare. Last but not the least, gangsterism has caused the
school where the gangsters are studying at has the bad image portrayed by the outsiders due to the numerous
indiscipline cases [C8].
Prevention is better than cure. This saying suits the issue I am highlighting at the moment. There are myriads
of ways to curb gangsterism from spreading like a virus. The first precautionary action is, the students; be it the
gangsters or the victims need to seek advice and professional assistance from the school counsellors [C9] regarding
the problems they encounter. Secondly, parents need to monitor the teenagers’ whereabouts [C10] to prevent them
from being influenced by the peers especially those with bad attitudes since they have the freedom to do whatever
they feel like doing without any boundaries. Moreover, the government has to enforce strict rules and severe
punishments [C11] on the perpetrators who have done any atrocities by breaking the laws. Next, the school
authority ought to organize an awareness campaign [C12] on the impact of gangsterism involving the students and
parents. Without a doubt, befriending benevolent, courteous and well-disciplined companions [C13] is the best way
to help preventing gangsterism at its root.
Having shared the causes, effects and necessary measures to be taken by the authority, this article has come
to an end. My earnest hope is that, I have shed some lights on how dangerous gangsterism can be to our
generation. Therefore, everyone has to play the role in curbing this kind of offense from getting worse. May the
force be in our favour. Together, we can make the difference!
