Is your child’s Bahasa Melayu (BM) essay, or karangan, always too short, with low marks?
In the UASA and MPT4 BM papers, the essay is Bahagian D (Part D). It is worth 20 marks, the biggest section of the paper.
Our advice: learn a simple four-paragraph plan and 14 linking words (penanda wacana), then use a few of them correctly.
Key points
- Bahagian D: one essay, 20 marks (paper total 50).
- Length: the MPT4 sample asks for 80–100 words; follow the paper.
- Plan: opening, two content paragraphs, ending.
- Linking words: learn 14; using them correctly beats using many.
Last updated: 29 October 2026
What is Bahagian D in the BM paper?
Bahagian D asks for one complete essay (Penulisan Karangan), worth 20 marks. The Years 4–6 UASA (Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik) BM paper has four sections. The table below follows the UASA Tahap Dua format (2025) of KPM (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, the Ministry of Education):
| Part | What it tests | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A | Grammar and comprehension (multiple choice) | 10 |
| B | Grammar, comprehension and a critical and creative response | 10 |
| C | One paragraph (Penulisan perenggan) | 10 |
| D | One essay (Penulisan Karangan) | 20 |
The paper is 50 marks and takes 1 hour 15 minutes. In 2026, Year 4 BM is assessed by MPT4 (Matriks Pembelajaran Tahun 4) instead, in the same format. For the whole paper, read MPT4 vs UASA: What Is the Difference? The UASA Bahasa Melayu Format for Years 4–6.
In the MPT4 BM format and sample items (2026) from LP (Lembaga Peperiksaan, the Examinations Board), the Bahagian D sample is a picture of a school canteen. The first answer line already starts with “Pada waktu rehat,” and the pupil carries on from there.
What do teachers look for in the essay?
Next to the sample essay question, LP lists four areas it assesses:
- Menjana idea: coming up with ideas and points.
- Koheren: sentences and paragraphs that flow.
- Kosa kata: enough vocabulary, used correctly.
- Nilai: showing good values, such as keeping things clean.
LP’s sample book does not say how many marks each area carries, and prints no marking rubric.
How many paragraphs should a BM karangan have?
We suggest four: an opening, two content paragraphs and an ending. For 80–100 words, this is the clearest plan. Our editorial team wrote these example sentences for LP’s canteen picture:
| Part | What to write | Example in BM |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 1–2 sentences: when, where, who; stay on the topic | Pada waktu rehat, suasana di kantin sekolah kami sangat meriah. |
| Point 1 | First point (isi), plus one sentence to explain it (huraian) | Pertama sekali, murid-murid beratur dengan tertib untuk membeli makanan. Mereka membeli nasi goreng, mi goreng dan air sirap. |
| Point 2 | Second point, starting with a linking word, then the reason | Selain itu, seorang murid lelaki mencuci tangan sebelum makan. Hal ini demikian kerana dia mahu menjaga kebersihan diri supaya tidak jatuh sakit. |
| Ending | 1–2 sentences: a feeling or a value (nilai) | Kesimpulannya, kita mesti sama-sama menjaga kebersihan kantin sekolah. |
How should a BM karangan start?
We don’t recommend memorised “all-purpose” openings. In an 80–100 word essay, a long memorised opening can use up a third of the words and may go off-topic. These three openings are safer:
- Carry on from the given words: if the paper prints the first words, continue from them. Example: “Pada waktu rehat, murid-murid berpusu-pusu ke kantin sekolah.”
- When + where + who: good for telling what happened. Example: “Pada hari Sabtu yang lalu, saya dan keluarga pergi ke taman rekreasi berhampiran rumah kami.”
- Name the topic in one sentence: example: “Kantin sekolah ialah tempat murid-murid membeli makanan pada waktu rehat.”
Which penanda wacana should my child learn?
These 14 are enough to start. The key words’ spellings were checked in PRPM, the online dictionary of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP):
| Use | Linking word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Pertama sekali | First of all |
| Add | Selain itu | Besides that |
| Add | Di samping itu | In addition |
| Add | Seterusnya | Next |
| Add | Tambahan pula | Moreover |
| Order | Kemudian | Then |
| Order | Selepas itu | After that |
| Example | Contohnya | For example |
| Example | Sebagai contoh | As an example |
| Reason | Hal ini demikian kerana | This is because |
| Result | Oleh itu | Therefore |
| Result | Oleh sebab itu | Because of that |
| Last | Akhir sekali | Finally |
| End | Kesimpulannya | In conclusion |
Our advice: use three or four in one essay, at the start of the content paragraphs and the ending; the opening follows the words printed on the paper. Using them correctly matters more than using many. Don’t use the same one twice in a row.
How many words should a BM karangan be?
Follow the word range printed on the paper. LP’s Year 4 MPT4 sample asks for “antara 80 hingga 100 patah perkataan”, which means 80 to 100 words.
The UASA format book gives no word count. In Years 5 and 6, each school sets its own UASA, so check the school’s paper.
Where do SJKC pupils most often lose marks?
These are five problems we see often (our experience, not an official marking rule):
- Off-topic: not reading the picture or question closely and writing about something else.
- Chinese word order: in BM, words showing who owns something, and adjectives, come after the noun. Write “Ibu saya”, not “Saya punya ibu”; “bunga yang cantik”, not “cantik bunga”.
- Missing affixes (imbuhan): write “Ali menolong ibu menyapu lantai”, not “Ali tolong ibu sapu lantai”.
- Spelling and spacing: when “di” and “ke” show a place, write them apart (“di rumah”, “ke sekolah”); verbs like “dimakan” are one word; “kerana”, not “karena”.
- Points with no explanation: after each point, add one sentence with a reason or an example.
How can we practise BM karangan at home?
We suggest twice a week, 20 minutes each time:
- Talk about a picture (5 minutes): pick a picture and ask your child for three sentences in BM about it.
- Plan (5 minutes): one key word for each of the four paragraphs.
- Write (10 minutes): 80–100 words, with at least three linking words.
- Parent check: count the words, circle the linking words, and check that “di” and “ke” before a place are written apart.
To see what the MPT4 BM paper asks in Bahagian B, read MPT4 BM Bahagian B: How to Answer the 5 One-Mark Questions.
FAQ
What is the difference between Bahagian C and Bahagian D?
Bahagian C is one paragraph for 10 marks; Bahagian D is a full essay for 20 marks. In the MPT4 samples, C is up to 50 words and D is 80–100 words.
Can my child use only simple sentences?
Yes. Our advice: correct simple sentences are better than long ones with mistakes. Add linking words and adjectives once the basics are steady.
Will writing more than 100 words lose marks?
LP’s sample book doesn’t say. We suggest staying within the range printed on the paper.
I don’t speak BM. How can I help?
You don’t need to know the grammar. Use the parent check above: count the words, circle the linking words and check that “di” and “ke” before a place are written apart.
More exam articles: MPT4 Results: What Grades A to F Mean and What to Do Next
Want to know where your child’s essay gets stuck?
A weak essay can come from vocabulary, grammar or structure. YouSeed’s online BM classes start with a free 1-to-1 assessment, fully online, to find where to begin.
If your child finds BM hard in general, read Child Weak in BM at SJKC? 3 Home Routines, Even If You Do Not Speak Malay.
See our online BM classes for SJKC pupils and book a free BM assessment
Sources: KPM UASA Tahap Dua format (2025), LP MPT4 BM format and sample items (2026); key-word spellings checked in DBP’s PRPM.