77 people have died over the past two years trying to cross railway lines in Malaysia. In the first 10 months of this year alone, 17 people died and 12 were injured. Despite safety measures like fences and bridges, many people still illegally cross the railway tracks, with over 50 crossings by pedestrians and 30 by motorists. The president of KTMB railway said that upgrading old tracks and adding fences in remote areas is difficult. Most of those killed are from communities used to crossing the tracks.

1. Writing
FACTUAL RECOUNTS

2. News Report
KUALA LUMPUR: At least 77 people have been killed and 36
injured while attempting to cross KTM Berhad railway lines
77 killed but no end to short cuts over the past two years.
Over the first 10 months of this year alone, 17 people died and
another 12 were injured.
The numbers appear grim but KTMB president Dr Aminuddin
Adnan said these tragedies had not deterred the public from
trespassing on railway lines.
Commenting on the fiery collision between a Sabah Railway
Department train and an oil tanker at an illegal crossing in Kota
Kinabalu, Sabah, that injured 12 people on Monday, Aminuddin
said KTMB had done its best to stop trespassers by building
fences and overhead bridges, but to no avail.
He said more than 50 illegal crossings were used by
pedestrians and another 30 by motorists along railway lines in
Pahang, Kelantan, Malacca and Johor.
He admitted that part of the problem was because many of the
older tracks had yet to be upgraded and did not have fencing.
This was especially so in remote areas or places near jungles.
“The trespassers are those from the surrounding communities,
who are used to crossing the tracks.
A student crossing a railway line at Kampung Dalam,
Palekbang in Tumpat, Kelantan yesterday. — NST picture
by Zaman Huri Isa

3. News Report
Doctors remove jelly soil KUANTAN: A 15-month-old toddler underwent a two-hour operation at the Tengku
Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) here on Tuesday to remove a "jelly soil" the size of a ping
from toddler pong ball which she had accidentally swallowed a few days earlier. Ifti Ilya Farhana Mohd
Khairuddin was admitted to hospital after she had high fever and vomited a jelly soil the
size of a marble on Monday night. During the surgery, doctors removed a second jelly soil
which had blocked her intestine.
Her mother Siti Aisyah Yusof, 27, said she was shocked to see the jelly soil that was
removed from her daughter's stomach.
She believed that her daughter had swallowed the jelly soil which came with packet of
snacks bought at a shop near her home in Taman Seri Mahkota, near here, on Oct 26.
"We had sent her to the hospital earlier but the X-ray results did not show anything
peculiar. However, we decided to send her to the hospital again after she vomited the first
jelly soil. Doctors were then able to trace the second ball inside her," said Siti Aisyah at
HTAA yesterday.
She hoped the authorities would take action against the manufacturer for putting the jelly
soil in food snacks.
In August, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry banned the sale
of jelly or crystal soil after seven toddlers underwent operations as a result of swallowing
the substance used as a soil substitute for indoor plants.
The jelly, which is around 0.5cm in diameter, can expand to about six times its size when
soaked, and blocks intestinal walls when swallowed. It is often mistaken for a toy or food
Ifti Ilya Farhana Mohd Khairuddin recuperating at
because of its bright colour, small size and malleable texture.
the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan
yesterday with her mother, Siti Aisyah Yusof, by
her side. — NST picture by Khairulmizan Yahya

4. Features in a News Article
 Headline
 Orientation
 Events
 Commentary
 Photo and Caption

5. Headlines
 Catchy
 Catches interests of readers
 Clear and concise
 Use of action verbs

6. Creating Headlines - Playing with words
 Have fun writing your headlines
Kids make nutritious snacks
SAFETY EXPERTS SAY SCHOOL BUS
PASSENGERS SHOULD BE BELTED
STOLEN PAINTING FOUND BY TREE

7. Creating Headlines - Puns
 Funny Headline using puns
 A word in a sentence that can have two meanings.
"Sew What?" ask Clothes Manufacturers
Sleepless Knights at Haunted Castle
Witch Halloween Costume Is For You?

8. Orientation
 Introduces the story
 Tells you:
who, where, what, when

9. What’s News?
accident
Involved
a bus Headline
A woman
died
Victim was Action
a pedestrian verb

10. Organisational Structure
An old woman was run over by a bus this morning at Yishun. orientation
The horrific accident saw the bus run over the head of
Mdm Huang Shu Hong (age 60), killing her on the spot.
According to witnesses, an SMRT bus 858 was turning right at the
junction when it somehow hit Mdm Huang.
The bus driver was said to have escaped from the scene after the
accident, which happened at about 9.20am at the junction of Yishun
Ave 2 and Yishun Central 1. Reporters managed to contact the bus
driver, who had apparently escaped back to Malaysia.
The man explained that he had been working in Singapore for two
years and has never encountered something like this. events
He said, "I was very scared at the time, my head was a blank and I
only thought to get away. I'm coming back to give myself up now."
When reporters arrived at the scene of the accident, a large pool of
blood, locks of hair and a pair of crushed spectacles were seen lying
on the road amidst scattered vegetables and joss sticks.
Mdm Huang is believed to have been returning home from the nearby
market when she was hit by the bus. Mdm Huang's husband also arrived
shortly after he was informed of the
accident by a neighbour.
The man broke down upon seeing his wife's remains on the road. commentary

11. Who, What, When, Where
Who?
What?
An old woman was run over by a bus
this morning at Yishun.
Where?
When?

12. For a Change
 Work in you groups to change the headline – ‘Bus
crushes woman’s head’ .
 Work in your group to change the orientation of the
story.
 Post your responses on our class blog under ‘For a
Change’.

13. Any Comments?
 In your groups, read articles A, B and C on the class blog
under each article name.
 Comment as a group on the headline and orientation of
each article.
 Your comments should say if the headlines are able to
capture readers’ attention or if they are clear and concise,
etc.
 Your comments should also say if the orientation
provides the necessary information readers need.
 You may give your suggestions for improvement.
 Post your group’s responses.

14. Making Headlines
 There are 3 scenarios.
 Each group is tasked to make a headline and an
orientation for 1 scenario according to the
instruction given on your class blog.
 Post your group’s responses.

15. Your Post
 You will now work individually.
 Read the scenario given on the class blog under ‘Your
Post’.
 Provide a headline and an orientation for your news
report.
 Post your individual response.

17. Factual Recount
 Tells about a series of events that happened in the
past.
 Speaker/Writer not necessarily involved in the
events.
 Generally found in:
Newspaper reports
Historical events
News Broadcast

18. Organisational Structure
Orientation
Events
Commentary

19. Grammatical Features
 Third person pronouns
 Passive voice
 Mainly past and past perfect tenses
 Use of indirect speech
 Connectors to with time and sequence
 Use of conjunctions

20. Other Features
 Vocabulary
In factual recounts, some technical vocabulary may be
used (depending on topic).

21. Looking forward
to read your
posts!