CONFIDENTIAL LG/DEC 2023/ELC231/230/SET 2
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
COURSE : INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS III /
INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS: WRITING
COURSE CODE : ELC231/230
ASSESSMENT : MID-SEMESTER TEST
TIME : 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
1. This question paper consists of ten (10) questions.
2. Answer ALL questions in the Question Paper.
3. Fill in the details below :
UiTM STUDENT CARD NO. : __________________________________________
PROGRAMME / CODE : __________________________________________
PART : __________________________________________
ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP : __________________________________________
NAME OF LECTURER : __________________________________________
4. You are allowed to refer to a print English-English dictionary.
5. Please check to make sure that this test pack consists of:
i) the Question Paper
DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.
This test paper consists of 8 printed pages.
© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL 2 LG/DEC 2023/ELC231/230/SET 2
PART A: READING COMPREHENSION (25 MARKS)
Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.
Period Poverty
I It may not be common knowledge, but there are female students in
Malaysia who skip school when they have their monthly period or
menstruation simply because their parents cannot afford to buy sanitary
pads for them. This situation can be referred to as period poverty. While this
issue is perceived as a major concern, period poverty is becoming more 5
apparent since the hit of Covid-19 pandemic among the urban poor
communities. The basis of this problem was that those who experienced
income loss due to the impact of the pandemic struggled to afford or have
access to period products. The second thing found is that women who fall
in the category of low-income or had lower educational attainment were 10
more vulnerable and struggled to access products throughout the
pandemic. Period poverty describes the inaccessibility of menstruation
products and washing facilities to those who menstruate. It is a global issue
affecting communities that do not have access to safe, hygienic menstrual
products, which often results in them missing school, as well as job 15
opportunities.
II In 2018, the World Bank estimated that 500 million women and girls all over
the world lack adequate basic facilities for menstrual hygiene management.
As the matter is not openly discussed in Malaysia, it resulted in the absence
of data on the actual number of people facing this issue. With the lack of 20
literacy on period poverty among the society, it leads to the confusions on
how to ensure safe menstrual management. Apart from that, most people
are only looking at it from one angle, namely the inability to buy menstrual
products. According to International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
sociologist, Dr. Sh. Fatimah Alzahrah Syed Hussien, period poverty covers 25
more complex aspects particularly in terms of ensuring safe, hygienic, and
dignified menstrual management. She added, “the confusion over period
poverty must be cleared because if we are not serious about addressing
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this issue, it will result in health crises among women which will have
adverse effects on their daily lives”. 30
III Due to the limited discussions on menstruation as a stigma in society, many
girls and women still do not know how to manage their menstruation
properly, and that could lead to serious health problems. This situation does
not only contribute to health problems, but it also causes school
absenteeism. Fitriyati Bakri is an alumnus of MYCorps, a youth voluntary 35
body under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who participated in a two-
month-long community development mission in Satkhira, Bangladesh in
2017. She explained that the voluntary body aims to reduce school
absenteeism among girls due to period poverty. Not only happening in other
countries, Fitriyati found it distressing that period poverty was also an 40
issue in several remote areas and islands in her home state, Sabah. For
instance, the villagers in Pulau Mabul and Pulau Omadal were not only
limited to purchasing sanitary towels, but they were also lacking in
knowledge on menstrual cycle, having inadequate access to sanitary
infrastructure and privacy. There are also no toilets there, and they have to 45
buy water in order to bathe in some areas. She added that “the schoolgirls
from the island do not go to school when they have their period as their
parents do not have the money to buy them sanitary pads.”
IV While there are no exact statistics on how many people experience period
poverty in Malaysia, organisations such as the NGO’s MYCorps Alumni and 50
All Women’s Action Society have stepped up to tackle the problem and help
those in need. Several local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have
come across period poverty whilst carrying out community programmes in
the remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as in Orang Asli
settlements in the peninsula. Many countries have taken steps to overcome 55
period poverty. In 2019, Britain allocated two million pounds (RM10.7
million) to organisations striving to end period poverty globally. Another
250,000 pounds (RM1.3 million) has also been allocated to government
departments, charities, and private enterprises to tackle the issue.
Meanwhile, Scotland provides free access to sanitary products to all 60
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women, thus enabling it to overcome period poverty effectively. Moreover,
France has reduced the sales tax on menstrual products while New Zealand
provides free sanitary pads to schoolgirls.
V Dr. Sh. Fatimah Alzahrah also said that the government should consider
teaching school children at all levels about menstruation to encourage 65
positive discussions, remove the stigma and enable them to realise that
the menstrual cycle is a natural process. She also urged the authorities to
monitor schools and public places to find out if they are equipped with the
facilities to enable girls and women to manage their periods properly.
Meanwhile, the alumni of MYCorps have teamed up, under an initiative 70
known as BUNGA Pads, to provide free reusable sanitary towels to needy
groups, particularly in remote places and islands, as well as to provide the
needy single mothers an opportunity to earn an income by sewing reusable
sanitary towels. The initiative, implemented in 2019 with the support of
NGOs, has been receiving an encouraging response. The BUNGA Pads 75
initiative focuses on three areas, namely education, environment, and
women empowerment. Another organisation that is extending a helping
hand to girls and women affected by period poverty is Yayasan Dakwah
Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) which provides free sanitary pads to the urban
poor through its YADIMart supermarkets. 80
VI The issue of period poverty may seem petty and insignificant to some
populations in the world, but this issue should be addressed and highlighted
by the responsible bodies. Specifically in Malaysia, the matter should be
openly discussed, and statistics of this issue should be highlighted to the
public. Period poverty, over the time, will lead to other concerns such as a 85
lack of education, and thus, prevailing the cycle of poverty. The Ministry of
Women, Family, and Community Development should deal with this issue
by collaborating with researchers from local universities to conduct specific
research on this topic to ensure that we have a clear picture of the situation.
© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL 5 LG/DEC 2023/ELC231/230/SET 2
Retrieved and adapted from https://www.thesundaily.my/local/don-t-turn-
a-blind-eye-to-issue-of-period-poverty-FB8452205 &
https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/597660
QUESTION 1
State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F).
i. Period poverty only deals with the issue of the inability to buy
menstrual products.
ii. Schoolgirls from Pulau Mabul and Pulau Omadal are absent from
school when they are on their period due to period poverty.
iii. Several local (NGOs) were carrying out community programmes in
the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as in Orang Asli
settlements in the Borneos.
iv. MyCorps alumni have started an initiative that focuses on three
areas, namely education, environment, and women empowerment.
(4 marks)
QUESTION 2
What do the following words mean as used in the passage?
a) adequate (line 18) : ___________________________________
b) distressing (line 40) : ___________________________________
c) allocated (line 56) : ___________________________________
d) stigma (line 66) : ___________________________________
(4 marks)
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QUESTION 3
All of the following statements are TRUE about period poverty except:
(Circle two (2) answers)
i. Period poverty has become more prevalent among the urban poor communities
before the Covid-19 pandemic.
ii. Period poverty persists in society because of the stigma to discuss menstruation
openly among the public.
iii. Scotland and New Zealand supply free sanitary goods to all women in their
countries.
iv. Other concerns such as a lack of education could cause the prolonging cycle of
period poverty.
(2 marks)
QUESTION 4
What are the common confusions related to period poverty?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QUESTION 5
What can you infer from the following statement?
She added that “the schoolgirls from the island do not go to school when they have their
period as their parents do not have the money to buy them sanitary pads.” (lines 46 - 48)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
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QUESTION 6
How do other countries try to tackle the issue of period poverty? State two (2) examples.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QUESTION 7
Why should the government consider teaching school children at all levels about
menstruation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QUESTION 8
How do the BUNGA Pads initiative with the support of NGOs collaborate in addressing
the period poverty issue in the country?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
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QUESTION 9
What does the author mean by the following statement?
“Specifically in Malaysia, the matter should be openly discussed, and statistics of this
issue should be highlighted to the public.” (lines 83 - 85)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QUESTION 10
In your opinion, do you think that period poverty is still a major concern within our society
today? Provide two (2) reasons to justify your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(3 marks)
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL
