Religious Books Publishing Council To Be Established To Strengthen Islamic Scholarly Book Industry

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- A Religious Books Publishing Council will be established to further strengthen the Islamic scholarly publishing industry in Malaysia, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan said today.

He said the council, which will bring together publishers of religious books, will serve as a platform to foster collaboration, exchange ideas and drive the development of a more dynamic and high-impact religious publishing industry.

According to Zulkifli, the establishment of the council comes at an opportune time, following encouraging growth in the sector, with an increasing number of high-quality works being produced by local publishers and religious agencies.

“At the same time, I hope to see our books exported and marketed abroad, whether within Southeast Asia or in the wider international market,” he said.

He said this after officiating the Baitul Hikmah MADANI Pavilion and launching a series of new publications by agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (PBAKL) 2026 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).

Also present was Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Marhamah Rosli.

On the publication initiative, Zulkifli said a total of 27 new titles across various categories were launched by agencies under the department during the event.

He also encouraged Malaysians to cultivate a stronger reading culture in line with the spirit of MADANI Membaca, aimed at building a knowledgeable and informed society.

“We invite the public not only to attend talks and lectures, but also to read and study quality scholarly works and books so that we can continue to expand our knowledge,” he said.

In a separate development, Zulkifli said the government remains committed to keeping haj costs at a manageable level despite economic uncertainties arising from the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

“We have successfully maintained haj costs for three consecutive years without any increase. Even in the face of inflationary pressures, we continue to examine ways to keep the costs under control,” he said.

-- BERNAMA