PUTRAJAYA, April 23 — The inaugural Perdana Reading Carnival organised by the National Library will be held in July this year to revitalise the National Reading Month campaign, said National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
He said the carnival’s implementation aligns with nurturing a knowledgeable and culturally rich Madani society.
“It also aims to fully support the National Reading Decade initiative, which aims to make Malaysia a Reading Nation by 2030.
“The carnival will also cultivate a sustainable reading culture by fostering partnerships and initiatives to ensure long-term impact and promote enduring reading habits,” he said.
Aaron was speaking during the launch of the Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes campaign at SMK Putrajaya Presint 9 (2) today.
The campaign was held in conjunction with World Book and Copyright Day, which is observed on April 23rd every year.
Regarding the reading rate among Malaysians, he said the Malaysian Reading Profile Study 2022/2023 conducted by the National Library showed a significant increase from two books per year in 2005 to 24 books per year in 2022 and 2023.
“This increase is the result of various empowerment programmes implemented over time,” Aaron said.
The minister added that the National Library, along with village and community libraries and the Perlis State Public Library, conducted 73,406 programmes to promote reading last year, with 2.32 million participants of various ages, groups, and ethnicities.
Last year, the National Library received 851,386 visitors, including 103,033 physical visitors and 748,353 virtual visitors through its website and social media platforms.
“The National Library also provides online reference and reading services through u-Pustaka. Malaysians can benefit from these digital resources for free,” he said.
Approximately 678,616 Malaysians have registered as u-Pustaka members as of February this year.
— Bernama
