CONFIDENTIAL BHEA.

BPA/01-00
NOV2020/SETA/HPE1043
PART A: READING QUESTION 1

Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Working Women are Boon for Economy

I In the context of the labour market, women as human resource and workforce
group must be taken into account for contributing to growth and economic
development of the country.

II According to the statistics published in August by the Department of Statistics,

Malaysian women's participation in the labour market was 55.2 per cent. This 5
figure is small compared with the number of female students in higher education
institutions, which have been increasing annually.

III The issue of low participation of women in the labour market is not only happening
here, but it is a phenomenon in other countries too like Japan and South Korea,
closely related to the roles of women who are also functioning as mothers and 10
wives.

IV If we focus on the formal labour market, the percentage of women do not

contribute significantly to the growth of the economy. However, in a broader
context, their contribution in the informal sector workforce needs to be taken into
account. 15

V According to the Department of Statistics, the involvement of women in the

informal sector experienced an increase last year with 548,900 (43.7 per cent)
compared with 38.7 per cent in 2017.

VI Informal sector workforce contributes to the high composition of workers in most

developing countries. The percentage is becoming more pronounced in the 20
current economic situation and during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. Women are
the most affected.

VII When we talk about the percentage of women in the informal sector, it is not just
referring to women who do not have education at the tertiary level, but also
women who have tertiary education qualification. Nowadays, women are looking 25
for an alternative; to work with flexible conditions where they can play their roles
not only as workers but also as mothers.

VIII Therefore, with the current economic challenges, the percentage of women with
tertiary education qualification is also among the contributors to the informal
sector workforce. The digital era has given women with post-secondary education 30
careers in the gig economy. With their abilities, expertises and skills in the

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production of food, creative products and fashion, it creates an opportunity for
online businesses.

IX The development is positive growth and becomes an alternative for women to

generate income and build the resilience of their livelihood. Hence, the initiative 35
of the government in strengthening the involvement of women in business is
timely. Indeed, the effort shows the commitment and determination of the
government to ensure no one is left out in the labour market, including the
informal sector.

X The 2021 Budget has provided an incentive to empower women entrepreneurs 40

for special micro-credit financing through TEKUN, MARA and Agrobank with an
allocation of RM95 million.

XI In addition, the government will provide RM50 million to the Islamic Economic
Development Foundation (YaPEIM) to support Islamic pawnbroking through Ar-
Rahnu BizNita. The government will also offer training programmes primarily in 45
marketing, labelling and packaging, in addition to business technical guidance to
more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs under the Micro-Entrepreneur Business
Development Programme (BizMe).

XII Apparently, the commitment of the government in continuing the development

and empowerment of women in Malaysia has proven that these initiativesultimate 50
aims are to strengthen the quality and balance of the women workforce.Indirectly,
these have an impact on prosperous and happy families as happy women lead
to prosperous families.

DR SURIYANI MUHAMAD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2020/11/640655/working-women-boon-economy

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Answer ALL questions

a. Read the statements carefully. Write whether they are TRUE or FALSE.

i. Women with tertiary education qualification also provide to the informal True / False
sector workforce.
ii. The involvement of women in the informal sector experienced an True / False
increase by 10% in the previous year.
iii. The digital era helps women starting their careers in the gig economy. True / False

iv. The initiative of the government in strengthening the involvement of True / False
women in business is at the right time.
v. Strengthening the quality and balance of the women workforce has not True / False
contributed to positive womenfolk’s’ lives.
(5 marks)

b. What do the following words refer to?

i. “This” (line 5) :

ii. “it” (line 9) :

iii. “they” (line 26) :

(3 marks)

c. What is the closest meaning for the following words according to the text?
i. labour (line 1) :

ii. tertiary (line 29) :

iii. initiative (line 35) :

(3 marks)

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d. Answer the following questions.
i.Identify the TWO (2) categories of women in informal labor market as stated by the
author.

(2 marks)
ii. What does the author suggest in paragraph IV?

(1 mark)

iii. Why there is a low participation of women in labour market across different countries?

(1 mark)

iv. State the focus of training program provided by the government.

(1 marks)

v. How does the continuous empowerment of women impact their lives?

(2 marks)

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vi.In your opinion, explain why “women are looking for an alternative; to work with
flexible conditions where they can play their roles not only as workers but also as
mothers” (line 26-27).

(2 marks)

(20 marks)

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QUESTION 2

Read the following information carefully. Answer the questions that follow.

The book, ‘The Life of Mahatma Gandhi’ is written by Louis Fischer and has been hailed as
the best biography of Gandhi. It narrates the life of Gandhi who led the fight for India’s
independence from British rule and the many issues that led to his assassination by a Hindu
fanatic a few months after freedom has achieved.

The biography shows Gandhi as a great human being – a leader who was gentle,
conscientious and honest. He stood for righteousness. Gandhi gave up all his desires and
sacrificed his life for the sake of the country. He went through many fasts, demonstrated
against colonial powers in a peaceful manner and went to jail so that his country could be
free. Reading the book, reminds me of what Einstein said of Gandhi. ‘Generations to come
will scarce believe that such a person ever walked in flash and blood upon this earth.’

It is a real pleasure to read about Gandhi. This book is very relevant in today’s world of
corruption and greed. It is a must-read for those interested in reading biographies.

Reviewed by: Karen Grant

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QUESTION 2

Based on the previous text, write the answers.

Title a.

Author b:

Type of book c:

He fought against the

d:
Gandhi’s life
He was killed by a
e:

Qualities of Gandhi
f:

g:

h:

i. Gandhi sacrifices his life so that his country could be:

j. Reviewer’s opinion of the book:

(10 marks)
TOTAL: 30 MARKS

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