Band 5 essays

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail,
Facebook and Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing
trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.
As time goes by, the world is changing rapidly; so are its people and the
technology itself. Technology brings about a lot of amendments in people’s life. It
is getting more advanced from day to day especially when it comes to Information
Technology or in this case; electronic communications. Back then, mailing was
seemingly to be one of the most vital ways of communication especially for the
world communication. In contrast, nowadays people are more prone to
communicate the easier ways; by staring on their electronic accounts on their
computers or through their iPods and sending short messages from their iPhones or
Blackberries. Why is it so? In my slight opinion, this growing trend gives a lot of
dominances in today’s life, which are helping people to save their time and money,
create borderless communication and make it easy for people to gain prominent
information.

Feedback
The student introduces technology as a whole, looking at its history, from how it
has grown from a simple form of communication through letters to today’s
extensive choice of communication through electronic gadgets. This is a great way
to start your introduction. Based on the question, explain what the issue is and give
a brief background of its past and present. State your opinion as to why such
situation arises.

First and foremost, the world today is turning more to electronic communications
like e-mail, Facebook and Short Message System (SMS) and other electronic
communications is because they will prevent people from wasting their time and
money. How do these work? As we all know, sending a letter to someone will take
a lot of processes and will eventually take a long time and waste a lot of money.
On the contrary, electronic communications entail only the tip of our fingers so as
an electronic device to work with. Then, what is left for us to do is just, typing!
Has that not taken a much lesser time and money? For instance, an e-mail only
requires us to turn on our laptops, open our accounts on the website and then, you
can start write your letter and send them through e-mails. In short, with the very
unstable economy nowadays, having these kinds of communications will ease
everyone’s burden especially on their daily expenses and also their valuable time
will not be wasted.

Feedback
State, Explain and then Illustrate. Remember SEI. First, state the topic that’s been
mentioned. In this case, it’s the rise of electronic communications. Then explain.
Explain what electronic communications entail. Next, illustrate. This means give
examples based on your explanation. The student illustrates by giving a scenario of
the use of emails.

Secondly, the growing trend of electronic communications is making it possible for

a borderless communication which is vital these days. Why is it vital? A lot of
things require borderless communication; in education field, businesses and even
daily activities, especially when foreigners involved. For example, when trading
with foreigners, in order to communicate with each other, they need Skype or
Yahoo Messenger as mediums to interact and be able to do the trade at a faster rate
as compared to by using ‘snail mails’ or regular letters. Skype is the perfect
example of an electronic communication which will cut the boundary that has
separated each country and make communication between two different countries
from around the world possible. In conclusion, it is crucial to have these electronic
communications in today’s age of globalization as they make it easier for people
around the world to connect with each other.

Feedback
Structure your subsequent paragraphs like the first one. Add a new point in the
second paragraph and repeat the SEI format. It’s important to have a mind map of
your points before you start writing.
Last but not least, the dominance of these electronic communications is people
could gain prominent information more efficiently than before. As there are lesser
borders between countries, the efficiency of getting much more relevant and
prominent information is higher. People will have the ability to provide and gain
information effectively through Facebook or Twitter accounts. For example,
international artists who have planned to do a world concert can inform their fans
about it through their Facebook account. Likewise, the fans also can ask just about
anything to their favourite artists regarding the concert. Hence, this explains why
people make these electronic communications as a huge trend these days and in
order to keep the trend ongoing, each person has the responsibility to adapt with
the technology itself.

In a nutshell, the growing trend of using electronic communications is inevitably

vital in people’s lives as it gives out a lot of benefits as stated in above paragraphs.
So, to avoid ourselves from not getting the chance of keeping up with the changing
trends, we have to try our best to adapt ourselves with the rapid changes. I believe
that the electronic communication trend is a trend which is very important to be
followed as the world is getting more advanced day to day.

Feedback
To indicate that your essay is coming to an end, use words like ‘in conclusion, in a
nutshell, in short or to wrap up. Summarise your opinion based on all your
previous paragraphs and emphasise your point through words like ‘I believe’.
2. Sample essay
Question: Students should start their own blog. Do you agree? Support your
answer with examples. You should write at least 350 words.
In recent years, the world has witnessed a significant rise in technological
advancements across all fields. We saw science improved, mathematical questions
answered, and social media flourished. The mushroom of blogs has positively
correlated with the increasingly affordable price of computers and gadgets.
Majority of the bloggers are students who use it for various purposes. Despite the
ongoing debate on whether students should start their own blog, I strongly agree
that starting a blog and constantly updating it helps develop critical thinking skills,
creates a knowledgeable society and fortifies multiracial unity.
First and foremost, starting and updating a blog helps to stimulate a critical way
of thinking. Blog acts as a platform which opens up avenues for sharing and
discussing ideas. Students are free to share their viewpoints with netizens all over
the world and anyone can propose his or her ideas in the comment section below.
Consequently, a discussion will be built up and the commenters need to analyse the
arguments by considering the issue from different aspects and backgrounds. Thus,
critical thinking skills develop slowly in the students’ mind without one realising
it. For instance, the discussion on the economic issue can only come to an ideal
conclusion through critical analysis of the current situation by viewing from
different aspects, involving the countries, citizens and resources. Therefore, it is
crystal clear that blogging can develop a critical thinking mind, especially among
the students.
In addition to this, blogging plays a key role in moulding a knowledgeable
society. It is a universal truth that most students in this era of globalisation where
technology reigns adapt better to learning via electronic media. Furthermore, most
students spend more time browsing the Internet compared to reading books and
newspapers. Hence, information and knowledge shared via blogs can reach more
students than the traditional way of sharing through books. As an exemplification,
students who have created mnemonics to ease the memorisation of difficult topics
in the syllabus can share them via their blogs so that other students can learn it and
even discuss to come up with a better idea. As a result, the knowledge input of
students who access to the blogs will be escalated dramatically to eventually mould
a knowledgeable society.
 Moreover, blogging can enhance the unity among different races. When
students of different races blog about their unique cultures and traditions, students
of other races who came across the articles will be well-informed about the
cultures of other races and thus open their eyes to realise the existence of other
cultures in one’s country. This can develop a better sense of understanding and
hence maintain the precious unity among races, which is crucial to the harmony of
a multiracial country such as Malaysia. For example, when a Malay student posts
about their tradition of visiting one another during the Aidilfitri, Chinese, Indian as
well as indigenous students will get to know more about the culture of Malays and
the dos and don’ts when they join the celebration. Subsequently, students will
develop a better understanding about races and unity is fortified when all sorts of
misunderstandings are avoided.
On the other hand, one may argue that blogging is time consuming and
distracting for the students. This notion anchored its arguments on the common
scenario that most students are very likely to get carried away when they access the
Internet and eventually wasted so much time doing unbeneficial activities in the
Internet. Students are also prone to the exposure towards the underlying negative
influences in the Internet such as violence, gore and sexually explicit contents
which are able to corrupt the students’ mind once and for all.

In a nutshell, I still totally believe that students should start their own blog as
this brings magnificent advantages to the students, society as well as our beloved
country. Blogging stimulates a critical way of thinking, produces an enlightened
society and strengthen the unity among races. The minor drawbacks can be
prevented by careful measures such as parental control. The government through
the Ministry of Education should spearhead a foolproof blueprint to instill the habit
of blogging among students by providing special training and increasing incentives
for the usage of technology in schools.
MUETmyway Cloned Question:
Smoking should be banned (A) as it is a hazard to mankind (B). Do you agree with
this statement? Give relevant examples. You should write at least 350 words.
Agree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100 or 75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to mankind in terms of
health, waste of money and causes pollution.
2) Agree 1:
Firstly, smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to our health.
3) Agree 2:
Secondly, smoking should indeed be banned as it is a blatant waste of money.
4) Agree 3:
Last but not least, it is a hazard to mankind because it creates continuous pollution
which is bad for our environment.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
However, there are some benefits including a good source of income and the tax
collected can be used to improve the infrastructure in our country. Nevertheless,
smoking has more disadvantages and should be banned.
6) Recommendation:
The government should streamline immediate and effective action to ban smoking
throughout the country by banning import and sales of cigarettes and increasing the
fines and jail sentences for tobacco smuggling and distribution.
Disagree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100 or 75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should not be banned because there are many benefits for our country in
terms of increasing profits, stimulating the economy and tax collected can improve
infrastructure for everyone.
2) Disagree 1:
First and foremost, smoking should not be banned as it increases the profit for the
shop owners who sell it to the public.
3) Disagree 2:
The second reason it should not be banned is because the collective sales of
cigarettes can stimulate our economy due to its high demand.
4) Disagree 3:
Lastly, banning smoking is not a good idea because the tax collected can be used to
improve and upgrade infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
On the contrary, there are some advantages of banning smoking as it does have
some hazardous effects to smokers’ health and the environment. Nevertheless, we
should not deny a person’s choice to smoke or not especially since it can still bring
some benefits to our country.
6) Recommendation:
The government should draw up an effective strategy to maximise tax collection of
tobacco products in order to boost the economy and use the funds to provide better
quality basic facilities for everyone’s mutual benefit.
Partially Agree
(6 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement:
There are both advantages and disadvantages of banning smoking as it is a hazard
to mankind.
2) Agree 1:
For starters, smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to our health.
3) Disagree 1:
In contrast, there are many people who have smoked and lived until old age,
proving that smoking is not necessarily a health hazard as there may be other
factors.
4) Agree 2:
Another advantage of banning smoking is it can stop people from wasting money
whereby the money can be better used for food, transportation, daily necessities or
as savings.
5) Disagree 2:
On the other hand, although they can be said to be wasting money on an individual
level but the money is contributed back into society and tax collection increases as
well which is used to improve and upgrade infrastructure such as roads, schools
and hospitals.
6) Recommendation:
The government should implement a comprehensive action plan to reduce smoking
in our country by increasing the price and taxes of cigarettes and organising anti-
smoking talks and exhibitions in schools and hospitals.
Agree to a Certain Extent
(5 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement:
There are always two sides to a coin so we should look into the pros and cons
should smoking be banned due to its hazardous nature towards mankind.
2) Agree 1 vs Disagree 1:
At the forefront, it is clear that smoking is a health hazard to mankind even though
there are cases where it is not a hazard and smokers have been known to live
healthily well into their old age.
3) Agree 2 vs Disagree 2:
Another significant reason it should be banned is because it is a waste of a person’s
money. Conversely, if you look at the bigger picture, it is not a waste of money but
it in fact stimulates the economy and increases profit due to high sales.
4) Agree 3 vs Disagree 3:
Ultimately, smoking is an individual’s choice and he or she should be given the
right to choose to smoke or not without the government interfering. On the
contrary, the government should take action in banning it if it affects the health and
quality of living of society as second hand smoke is dangerous to babies and
pregnant mothers and smoking causes unnecessary pollution.
6) Recommendation:
The government through the Ministry of Health should spearhead an effective
blueprint to ban smoking in public places by fining smokers if they smoke in
restaurants or shopping malls and conducting more anti-smoking campaign to
increase awareness.
SAMPLE 1) YEAR END 2008: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

“People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more
money and what money can buy.” What is your opinion on being materialistic?
You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks]
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without
money, life would be very difficult as in today’s society, nothing is free. The side
effect however is that people are becoming more materialistic; more concerned
with making money and what money can buy. But how much money is enough? Is
it ever enough? To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I truly believe
that this statement is true and that people are becoming more materialistic in
nature. In this essay, I will discuss how materialism has affected modern society’s
way of life on an individual level, the country’s economy as well as our spiritual
and moral beliefs.

First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some extent in this
day and age because hedonism is becoming an uprising trend. This is because
today's generation are geared towards making more and more money so that they
can enjoy the carefree lifestyle that is so popular these days. Moreover, people now
are striving to earn more income in order to afford things that are more expensive
and branded. For example, people spend their hard earned money on material
objects like genuine LV and Coach handbags, expensive gadgets like Iphones and
Tablet pcs and so on which in my opinion is a waste of money when regular goods
may prove to be good enough. Therefore, while individuals become more focussed
on their pursuit of material wealth and improving their standard of living, they may
forget that what matters most in life is quality time spent with family and friends
and not the quantity of their material goods.

Secondly, when society starts spending in a materialistic manner it will surely have
a domino effect on the country’s economy. This means that the spending power of
society will help boost the economy and create more business opportunities for the
booming trade. However, when a society overspends, using plastic money or credit
cards, or when they take loans they cannot afford to repay, then the country’s debt
margin will be higher. For instance, USA today is facing an economic crisis
because banks have approved home loans to people who aspire to own bigger
houses than they can actually afford and this is causing the collapse of the
country’s economy there. Thus, while a society’s spending habits helps our
economy to grow, overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to
the country’s financial stability.

Last but not least, materialism affects our spiritual and moral beliefs. This is due to
the fact people who are materialistic may become ‘amoral’ whereby they disregard
their spiritual and moral upbringing and instead turn to crime to satisfy their
materialistic needs. In fact, the crime rate is increasing because criminals these
days have developed many ways to gain more money from society. Take for
example, there are more reports of snatch thefts, burglaries, kidnapping for ransom,
credit card fraud, internet banking hacking and others that are driven by
materialistic criminals. Hence, when people lose sight of their spiritual and moral
beliefs and believe instead in the greed of materialism, therefore the crime rate is
bound to increase.

In a nutshell, materialism is a common agenda in the 21st century as more people

are working hard to afford things beyond their reach. While this may spur
individuals to work harder to improve their standard of living, overspending due to
materialism may cause the downfall of a country’s economy and their morality. In
my opinion, I still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on today’s
society; both positive and negative effects. Our government can encourage society
to be less frivolous and wasteful in spending by running campaigns such as
‘Consumer Awareness’ and ‘Buy Malaysian Made Products’ in order to educate
our younger generation for the prosperity of our nation.

SAMPLE 2) MID YEAR 2010: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail,
Facebook and Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing
trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks]
Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes
on their Nokias or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or
Yahoo page on the computer screen. Whether you like it or not, the age of
Information Technology is upon us, and we can either learn new skills and adapt to
this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older generation. In my
opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and
it brings countless benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive
effects of electronic communication, namely its efficiency, enhances
communication and creates a borderless world community.

First and foremost, more and more people are relying on e-mail, Facebook, Short
Message System (SMS) and other types of electronic communication tools because
of its high efficiency. This is because in today's age of globalisation, we need
information at the tip of our fingers. Moreover, with the use of these tools, we can
increase the speed of getting the necessary and relevant information within seconds
and this will increase our productivity. For example, gone are the days of using
'snail mail' or regular letters using stamps and envelopes and many more examples
of 'old' technology because it is simply too slow and inefficient. Therefore, these e-
communication tools increases the access to important information which is why
the new generation is fully accepting this growing trend.

Secondly, this form of technology enhances communication among people today.

This means that when we use SMS, e-mails and websites like Facebook, we are
able to communicate clearly and directly to our target audience. Furthermore,
people today find that the message is more important than the form it comes in as
an e-mail in short but clear sentences is just as good or even better than a long and
formal letter. For instance, an SMS can give clear instructions in just a few words
and this communicates what needs to be done quickly and directly. Thus, when the
intended message can be spread clearly using short and clear information like in
SMSes and emails, communication can be enhanced and there will be less
problems of miscommunication.

Last but not least, e-communication creates a borderless community in the world
we live in today. This is due to the fact that the boundaries that separate each
country becomes less relevant when information is transferred without limitations.
In addition, the world would be a better place because there is a sense of 1-World
commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community through efficient and
clear e-communication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people on
an international basis using Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and
others. Hence, these tools will enhance global unity and create a more peaceful
world.

In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals
but the global society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and
shaping a borderless community. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest
trend is the best way forward and if we do not catch up, we will be left behind by
the tide of development. Our government can encourage the proper usage of
electronic communications by increasing communication amenities and free
broadband accessibility especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same
facilities as city-folks therefore balancing the development of our country towards
achieving Vision 2020.

SAMPLE 3) MID YEAR 2011: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should
write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]

It is true that no ‘man is an island’ meaning that no one in this world can live alone
without friendship. That person would be very socially challenged as he or she
would miss the camaraderie and life experiences that come with friendship.
However, I completely disagree with the statement that the most valuable thing in
life is friendship as there are certainly more important and priceless things in life
besides this. In this essay, I will outline how life itself is more valuable than
friendship, and elaborate on why family and the individual’s principles in life are
ranked higher.
First and foremost, before one can enjoy the beauty of friendship, one must surely
value life itself or in other words, we should value our health. This is because, the
quality of our life is the single most important criteria in life if we are to live a
meaningful and wholesome life. Moreover, without good health, we will be hard
pressed to do even the simplest of tasks like feed ourselves or relieve ourselves
without the help of doctors, nurses and caregivers. For example, if we are
paralysed, lost our sight, hearing or ability to speak or even a simple case of a fever
or allergic reactions, then the quality of our life is greatly reduced and no amount
of friendship can make us healthy again. Therefore, while friends can stand by us
in our time of need, pristine health is still the most valuable asset in our lives.

Secondly, we are no one without our family as indeed blood is thicker than water.
This means that however you analyse it, friendships will almost always play
second fiddle because family always comes first. Furthermore, if we do not value
our family above others, then there must be a problem among the family members
that has caused their relationship to be strained. For instance, people tend to turn
away from family if the family member(s) themselves are the ones to cause them
to react negatively such as divorced parents, abusive parents or siblings and so on.
Thus, when people consider friendship to be the most valuable thing in life, more
often than not they may come from a troubled household.

Last but not least, a person’s principles in life is by far more valuable than
friendship alone. This is due to the fact that each person needs to have a code of
ethics, quite often prescribed by their individual religions. In addition, this code
will guide each person to live their lives according to the good and right principles.
Take for example, if an individual has set his principles to do good, then no
amount of friendship especially negative influence from friends, can shake his hold
on his principles and cause him to commit undesirable deeds like smoking,
stealing, raping, murdering and others. Hence, if a person values friendship so
much to the point where he is willing to break his principles, then he has done a
serious misdeed against himself and will most likely regret his actions later in life.
In short, friendship is the rainbow of life as it colours our horizons with invaluable
experiences but without good health, a supportive family and strong principles, life
becomes empty and meaningless. In my opinion, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt
that I still firmly believe that friendship is not the most valuable thing in life. Our
government can encourage people to prioritise health, family and principles in life
by organising awareness campaigns especially in primary schools where the
younger generation should learn about priorities in life because they are the leaders
of tomorrow.

SAMPLE 4) MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

The rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products. How will
this affect the society? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]

Money is always an issue in today's era of materialism. Most people need it for
basic survival while the lucky few indulge in luxuries without worrying about
money. In my opinion, I strongly agree that the rising fuel price has pushed up the
price of other consumer products and this will definitely affect the society. In this
essay, I would like to touch on the effects this price increase has on society today,
namely increasing vice activities, widening the gap between the rich and the poor
and affecting the population trend in the long term.

First and foremost, society will immediately be affected by the rise in fuel prices
because consumer products will be more costly and this leads to an increase of vice
activities. This is because basic necessities such as rice, flour, sugar and so on will
be in great demand and some warehouses will store or hoard the items to further
increase the price of the product. Moreover, in the newspapers today, reports of
smuggling of these items prove that this vice activity is on the rise. For example,
the recent sugar price hike caused a furor among the Malaysian society as it costs
more fuel to travel to and from the supermarket and when arriving, most places had
run out of stock even though the government had allocated 2kg of sugar to one
person. Therefore, the fuel price increase had definitely caused more hardships to
society today.

Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the
gap between the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly
affected by the price of basic necessities such as food and fuel in particular.
Furthermore, the rich people will still be able to afford such things but the poor
will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes: "The rich get richer, and
the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase consumer
products that are necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health
and dental check-up, educational purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel
price hike will further stress on the differences between the rich and the poor
which is such a tragedy.

Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the
society will be greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously
decide not to have too many children in order to increase their quality of life. In
addition, society is now more aware of birth control and family planning so this
will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to 5 children instead
of more. Take for example, new families with less children will surely spend less
on basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more. Hence, the
demographics of the whole country will be affected and this in turn will reduce our
workforce which will affect our country's productivity and prosperity.

In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase
which includes more crimes like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads
to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor as well as a change in the
society's demographics. I still strongly believe that the rising fuel price has pushed
up the price of other consumer products and this will surely cause a negative
impact to society. The government must find a way to stabilise the fuel price at a
reasonable rate so that it does not affect the productivity of this country towards
achieving the aspirations of the nation for Vision 2020.
MORAL OF THE STORY: AVOID SWEEPING STATEMENTS AND
GENERALISATIONS THAT YOU HAVE NO PROOF ABOUT. STAY AWAY
FROM WORDS LIKE:
ALL, NEVER, ALWAYS, EVERY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING ETC.
Question 2:
Since achieving independence in 1957, Malaysia has been known for its peaceful
and multiracial society. What can be done to further enhance national unity and
solidarity among the various races? Elaborate and give relevant examples in more
than 350 words.

Nowadays, Malaysia is considered a leading tourist destination because we are

famour for our multiracial society living together in peace and harmony. In my
opinion, I strongly agree that national unity can be enhanced to strengthen
solidarity among all the various race in this country. In this essay, I will discuss
three solid strategies for enhancing national unity which include every individual's
role in being more patriotic, be respectful of each different culture and mould a
racially tolerant future generation.

First and foremost, every individual can play a part in enhancing national by being
more patriotic. This is because when we are patrotic we will appreciate being a
Malaysian citizen who has the right to live a peaceful and war-free life. Moreover,
having high patriotism will ensure that we really love our country and we will not
do anything to harm the peach and harmony. For example, every one of us can
respect the 'Negaraku' song and 'Rukunegara', fly our national flag during
idependence Day and so on. Therefore, if everyone plays their part and becomes
more patriotic, this will easily enhance the spirit of national unity.

Secondly, as a loyal Malaysian, we should always be respectful of each and every

culture found in this country. This means that respecting the main races like
Malays, Chinese and Indians as well as the indigenous races will ensure that we
will continue to live side by side in harmony. Furthermore, every race tat makes up
the Malaysian society is unique and should be cherished for its special traditions.
For instance, we should visit one another during the 'Open House' or wedding
celebrations, religious festivals and many more. Thus by respecting the uniqueness
of every culture, this helps us promote racial solidarity and enhance national unity.

Last but not least, it is every individual's responsibility to mould the future
generation to be more patriotic. This is due to the fact that by educating our own
children to be good and tolerant citizens, this will help us maintain our peaceful
situation long into the future. In addition, children who are taught to be respectful
of other cultures will learn to be more grateful for the peace and harmony our
country enjoys compared to places like Gaza where they are now suffering the
effects of war. Take for example, we can send our children to 'Sekolah Wawasan'
or 'Vision Schools' where they can mix with all races, join multiracial community
activities and others. Hence, by educating the young on patriotism, we are ensuring
that national unity will continue to exist in the future.

In a nutshell, the three strategies I have suggested are to be more patriotic and
respectful of each unique culture as well as to teach our children about patriotism.
In my opinion, I still strongly agree that national unity can be enhanced if we all
play an active role. I hope that our government can highlight this issue in the media
by organising more patriotic campaigns so that we can produce a united society
that can contribute productively to the achievement of Vision 2020.