Reading society key to innovative, progressive nation - Sangeeta Kaur

PUTRAJAYA, April 23 (Bernama) -- Developing a society with a reading habit is the basis for building a nation that is innovative, creative and progressive, said Sangeeta Kaur Sidhu, the patron of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry’s National Association of Wives of Civil Servants and Women Civil Servants (Puspanita).

She said parents can play a crucial role in achieving this by giving early education and exposure to their children about the importance of inculcating the reading habit from young.

Sangeeta Kaur, the wife of Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, said this is because the ‘first school’ for children is at home.

“Studies have also shown that instilling interest in and fostering the habit of reading depends on the experience of reading at home,” she said at the “Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes” 2019 programme, organised by the ministry’s resource centre and its departments and agencies here today.

The programme was held in conjunction with the World Book and Copyright Day, which is celebrated on April 23 every year to promote reading, publishing and protection of intellectual copyright.

At the programme, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Kumpulan Media Karangkraf Sdn Bhd donated books to selected schools in Putrajaya.

In ALOR SETAR, director of the Kedah Public Library Corporation Shahizan Affandi Zakaria said a love for reading must be inculcated in today’s youths who were more interested in online games.

“All parties including civil servants, students and parents must bring back the reading habit,” he said at the  “Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes” programme here today

Shahizan Affandi said specific programmes which could encourage interest in reading have to be conducted by government agencies, the private sector and schools to encourage the habit among the public.

Meanwhile, in TUMPAT, the Kelantan Public Library Corporation was targeting 500,000 people from the state to participate in the reading this year.

Its director, Ruslan Ludin said the target this year was to increase the number of participants compared to last year.

“Last year, we recorded 328,999 participants and this year we hope to have 500,000 people join the programme.

“We have set this target because we included pre-schoolers and pupils in Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (PASTI),” he told reporters after the launch of the programme today by wife of Kelantan Menteri Besar Datin Siti Zabidah Ab Hamid.

The programme is held every April 23 each year throughout the country to encourage the public to read.

Ruslan said previously, the programme only involve schoolchildren and students in tertiary institutions.

“We have included pre-schoolers as we want the reading habit to begin from a young age,” he said.

-- BERNAMA