Start reading revolution
Continuation of civilisation demands it
MALAYSIANS on average read 15 books a year, just slightly over one book a month. A 2014 interim report on the reading habit revealed that seven years earlier, Malaysians read only two books a year.
The exact figure could be higher since reading materials are widely available in traditional and digital formats. E-books and e-papers make reading a breeze on smartphones, tablets and portable e-readers.
Malaysians do read. This is evident on light rail transit and mass rapid transit trains in Kuala Lumpur, where people are constantly glued to their smartphones, reading everything from news portals to social media feeds. Moreover, the country’s literacy rate stood at 94.94 per cent, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Institute for Statistics’ Adult and Youth Literacy National Regional and Global Trends (1985-2015).
But are Malaysians reading enough to stimulate their intellectual capacity?
Studies have shown that civilisation- and nation-building are done by intellectually-stimulated people who read, argue and form ideas, which Malaysians are not doing enough.
Leisurely reading of Facebook feeds and Twitter posts may be popular, but they hardly leave takeaway points that can help the readers engage in healthy discourses, other than just to inform, provoke and entertain. Therein lies the difference between irrational conjecture and thoughtful opinion, misguided prattle and cogent facts. Values, religious beliefs and cultural sensitivities are forged through reading, with critical minds serving as pathways to policymaking decisions and peace negotiations at home and abroad.
Malaysia is doing its part to inculcate a healthier reading culture in people with the National Reading Decade (2021-2030) campaign on the heels of the capital city being recognised as World Book Capital by Unesco in 2018. Unesco, on its webpage, stated that the capital city was selected “because of the strong focus on inclusive education, the development of a knowledge-based society and accessible reading for all parts of the city’s population”.
KL is the 20th city to receive the title since 2001. Other cities honoured include Madrid (2001), Turin (2006), Amsterdam (2008) and Athens (2018).
From April, in conjunction with World Book and Copyright Day, the city will embark on initiatives to promote books and reading throughout the year. One of it is KL Baca, which focuses on four themes: reading in all its forms, developing the book industry’s infrastructure, making digital material more accessible and empowering children through reading.
Recognising that more is needed to boost the reading habit, this paper launched “Let’s Start a Reading Revolution” campaign in November with the hashtag #NST20minutesADay, #NSTReads and #MalaysiaMembaca. Last month, NST also featured the “Word of the Day” blurb in print and digital platforms, the first of several initiatives to promote reading.
To instil the joy of reading in people from young, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu and Kedah have rolled out mobile library units to schoolchildren in rural areas. The results are impressive, with Kuala Terengganu’s four units recording 22,075 visitors between 2015 and 2017. “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader,” wrote American writer Margaret Fuller.
But are Malaysians reading enough to stimulate their intellectual capacity?