Soalan Percubaan SPM English Paper 1 (Negeri Sabah)
Section B : Continuous Writing
Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics.
Question 5 - Rivers
Written by : Zaidel Baharuddin
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Batang You
When the word river is mentioned the image that comes into my mind is one big drain or “longkang” with "The Tarik" coloured water flowing in it. Try taking the LRT from Wangsa Maju station to city centre in which you pass above the gombak river and then you will get what I mean. Due to the torrential rainfall the government had renovated (if that is even the proper word) or reconstructed the Gombak River into one big concrete drain to avoid overflowing of rainwater thus resulting in a muddy city flood. As for the colour of the water, it is a result of the mud from the bed of the river plus the strong faith of the citizens of Kuala Lumpur who truly believe that everything that is thrown into the river will be magically dissolved. Sort of like the messiah of the Sungai Gombak (Gombak River).
Urban Legend has it that the fishes in Sungai Gombak is very large and somewhat healthy thanks to their diet provided by the richness of the river. Nutrients derived from things such as Nasi Kandar, Kentucky Friend Chicken, various Curry dishes and many more in the form of human excrement (i.e dung/shit/crap) supposedly helped in ensuring that fishes in Sungai Gombak are very well fed. The Sungai Gombak begins from the Klang Gate water reservoir and flows through Hulu Kelang and into the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It then will merge with Sungai Kelang (Kelang River), it is there where one of the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur is located. It is known as Majid Jamek. Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur is built upon the bank in which the two great rivers meet (Kelang and Gombak) and it is supposed to be the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Jalan P Ramlee on the other hand is known as the soul of Kuala Lumpur while Lorong Haji taib would be the arse hole of Kuala Lumpur. Bukit Bintang and Bukit Tunku on the other hand are the bosoms of Kuala Lumpur while Kl Tower is the...... you know let’s not go astray from the topic of this essay into the intimate discussions of Kuala Lumpur’s anatomy.
Back to rivers, Kuala Lumpur surprisingly has a lot of rivers. Apart from the famous Sungai Kelang and Sungai Gombak it is also the home of several other small rivers like Sungai Pisang (banana) located near Karak Highway, Jeram (Rapids) Kelang Gate , Sungai Pasir and many more. Rivers play an important role in an urban society like Kuala Lumpur. Apart from being an important water source it is also a key factor in the urban ecosystem, in which river is an integral part in molding the human habitat. Rivers can be the place where family can go for a picnic or spend some leisurely time playing around thus forging a better relationship between the family members. History tells us that rivers are the birthplace of great civilizations which create culture, arts and generate the economy. A prime example of the importance of a river in an urban society in Kuala Lumpur would be Sungei Wang (money river). This is a river where apart from just water flowing (the fountain at the entrance) it is also the place where city revelers can have a decent picnic at any of the cafes and restaurants located there. Apart from that it is also the centre of economic activity where hundreds of traders try to sell their products and services. Family can spend time watching movies, playing at the arcade, buying things, picnic and even karaoke right in the middle of the bustling madness of the city. Which is a testament of the magical effect a river can have on an urban society.
Like the great rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, Sungei Wang is also the cradle of culture and arts. Sungei Wang is known as the place of arts and culture movements such as the Japanese Wannabe fashion trends where bundles of young artisans congregate at Sungei Wang with their coloured spiky hair, funny platform shoes and garishly coloured shirts that clash with their pants or skirts. These young artisans would then listen to poetic rendition by great poets of their time like Jay Chou, F4 or S.H.E. If Tigris and Euphrates is known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon Sungei Wang is known for it’s architectural marvel of having a huge food court at the top, something like a Hanging Foodcourt one would say. From Para-para dancing to the literary work of Sun Comics Sungei Wang is indeed the cradle of culture in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Indeed rivers plays an important role in the ecosystem. Apart from being the source of water, a place to wash your arse after a dumb or just a venue for you to wash your car, rivers can act as the glue that binds society. It can be the place where family spend time, friends karaoke together or just a place where pimpled teenagers with fashion disorder seek attention from each other. I may come from a metropolis like Kuala Lumpur, but the rivers in Kuala Lumpur have a special bond to my heart and acts as the bind that ties my fat, lazy, capitalistic fast food body to nature.