KUALA LUMPUR JUNE 4:- The development of a country depends on the knowledge of its people besides acquiring positive mind, hard-working and competent.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, knowledge is gained through reading that enables to build a more academic and scientific mind and hence increase the knowledge tradition that has existed in the Islamic Excellence Age.
The Prime Minister cited a famous “Ulama” and a writer in Nusantara, Hamka or Abdul Malik Abdul Karim Amrullah who said that “Reading a book is like giving good food to the spirit.
“In the efforts to educate a race to be successful, the reading culture should be instilled continuously,” Ismail said in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fest (PBAKL) organised by the Malaysian National Book Council (MBKM).
He said, the organisation of PBAKL is a continuous effort of the activists in the book industry to strengthen the reading culture and to empower the industry.
“We can follow the example of the Japanese community that is known for their love for reading. The reading culture has become one of the causes for their successes. When I was in my working visit to Japan last week, I could see that the love for knowledge does not only exist among the young people but also the adult groups,” Ismail said.
Ismail stressed that the world successful business leader like Bill Gates read 50 books in a year. Precisely, Gates reads at least one book a week while a billionaire Elon Musk who owns a space exploration firm SpaceX spends 10 hours a day reading science fiction novel to increase his knowledge about rockets.
“The failure to maintain the reading culture will not only affects and destroy the government’s efforts to build a successful country but also “kills” not only the book industry but also the creative groups” Ismail added.
The Prime Minister added, to produce a quality book and to empower this industry, the editor, publisher and all the stakeholders in the book industry should play their roles.
“The effort could also support the growth and instil the continuity in building the nation via reading culture. The fest has been encouraging with the participation of 167 exhibitors from inside and outside the country.
“The fest has been highlighted with the opening of 709 spaces for exhibitors to show their products and is targeting to have 700,000 visitors present at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur. –Malaysia World News
