Women's Reading Club Holds Meeting In Melaka, With 'Women And Health' Theme In Conjunction With Pinktober

MELAKA, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Perbadanan Kota Buku (Kota Buku), as the patron of Kelab Perempuan Membaca (Women's Reading Club), made history by officially launching a series of tours outside the Klang Valley through the organisation of the third meeting of the Women's Reading Club themed "Women and Health" held at Level 1, The Shore Shopping Gallery here today.

In a statement, Kota Buku said that the programme, managed in collaboration with the Malaysian Booktube Association through the Kelah Buku initiative, is organised periodically to build a community of women who actively read, think critically, and contribute to societal development through the sharing of knowledge and experiences.

The organisation of this series is significantly celebrated in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month or Pinktober, thereby becoming a catalyst for raising awareness about women's physical and mental health through the reading of literary works and community dialogue.

"The step to expand to Melaka marks the beginning of the Kota Buku's commitment to bringing the Women's Reading Club movement to various locations to ensure the empowerment of women through the reading culture can be achieved more inclusively," according to the statement.

The Women's Reading Club initiative, inspired by Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, continues to receive her strong support and sustained interest. The minister was present today to officiate the event and participate in a special reading session.

The statement said that the organisation of this series is based on the belief that knowledgeable women who are concerned about their own health are the main foundation for building a prosperous family and society.

To highlight the spirit of Pinktober solidarity, participants and guests also wore pink and white themed outfits and donned pink ribbons as a symbolic gesture of support and respect for the breast cancer awareness struggle.

"Participants were also encouraged to bring their own reading materials related to the topics of women, health, and well-being to share with club members," according to the statement.

Also attending the event were local agency leadership and representatives, including the Melaka State Education Department (JPN) director Mahfudzah Mohamed Noor, a representative from the Melaka Public Library Corporation (Perpustam), and representatives from the PERMATA Negara Child Centre.

The Kota Buku also expressed its appreciation and gratitude for the enthusiastic participation of local college and school students, as well as hundreds of members of the Women's Reading Club and visitors who provided strong support either physically at the location or online.

The third series continues the iconic and periodic slots such as the special session “Fadhlina Membaca” (Fadhlina Reads), the intellectual discourse opener and social networking activities.

For this series, the event was further enlivened with interactive sharing sessions from club members and participants who were physically present at the location or online.

The organisation of the Women's Reading Club reflects the ongoing commitment of Kota Buku in strengthening the reading culture as a catalyst for human capital development and the formation of an informed society, in line with the aspirations of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to expand the reading culture among the people.

To further invigorate the reading culture at the grassroots level, Perpustam also announced special permission for visitors and club members who borrow the selected books provided by Perpustam at the event to take the books home for free.

Members of the public who are interested in joining the upcoming series of tours can get more information through www.perempuanbaca.my or follow the official social media @perempuanbaca.my on Instagram and Threads.

-- BERNAMA