Reading is an adventure, one that can be as intimate as we would like to make it. Yet, sadly the joys of reading are bereft to many Malaysians.
The status of Malaysians vis-a-vis reading stands at two books per year. This was what a National Library survey in 1996 revealed, compared to the two pages per year back in the 80s.
No one exact factor has been pin-pointed as the reason why Malaysians shy away from books. The National Library is planning to conduct a reading profile survey of Malaysians to once again gauge where the people's reading status presently stands at.
In the interim, the National Library and the respective state and district libraries are currently celebrating the 2004 National Reading Month, which was launched on July 1. Coming into its 10th year, the month-long reading campaign was the brainchild of the government in an attempt to persuade Malaysians to make reading a priority. Ten decades later, the achievement has been dismal, at just two books per year, if the National Library's previous survey is to be used as a barometer of the campaign's success.
Pertinent ministry left out
To ascertain why the public is not making reading a happy hobby, the annually-held national reading campaign needs to be re-examined to determine its effectiveness. Are these big-budgeted campaigns really necessary? Do they at all serve to improve the reading habits of Malaysians?
Does the government know how successful the national reading campaigns have been? What really is the objective for organising such a programme? Is it yet another fun-filled event, held for the sake of having them?
The government links reading to learning, maybe that is why the National Library saw it fit to invite the Education Ministry to launch the 2004 National Reading Month campaign. It completely slipped the organiser's mind and that of Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's (when he announced the involvement of several ministries to help his ministry boost the reading habit), that there was an equally important ministry that had been left out, and that being the Youth and Sports Ministry.
The launch of the 2004 National Reading Month saw no representative from the Youth and Sports Ministry. This despite the fact that the Youth and Sports Ministry serves as an excellent vehicle to encourage the reading habit among Malaysians, especially the young. Its Rakan Muda programmes are ideal platforms to foster reading delights.
Yet, the National Library, which organised the 2004 National Reading Month, failed to realise the contribution that the Youth and Sports Ministry could make. This disproportionate way of dealing with issues such as reading reflects yet again the government's "piece-meal" approach in "improving" situations.
Poor planning
This year's National Reading Month was launched by Deputy Education Minister Hon Choon Kim and Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Dr Rais Yatim at the five-star Renaissance Hotel in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. The hotel was also the venue for the Reading Summit and the Storytelling Congress and workshops, both which spanned over two-days.
Participants for the two-day event came from various states. While the invited guests - professional storytellers - came from Canada, United Kingdom, United States and India.
While good hospitality has always been Malaysia's pride, it was befuddling to note why the lavishly-built National Library refused to use its own landmark premises as the venue to launch the event and house the Reading Summit and the Storytelling Congress and workshops. After all, the copious National Library stands as a proud landmark of the country. The National Library was only used on the third day of the campaign where only one storytelling session was held there. This despite the fact that the National Library has a children's theatrette!
To make matters worse, the international storytellers were allotted places at shopping malls around Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya to conduct storytelling sessions, a move which was not too clever on the part of the organiser. The open-space concept was not only a big distraction, it also made capturing the audience especially the children's attention more difficult.
To add insult to the situation, a storytelling session held by one of the international storytellers at Suria KLCC coincided with a function attended by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. One could only feel sorry for the storyteller concerned who had to fight for her "audience" which naturally gravitated towards the event attended by Abdullah.
With poor planning in promoting reading standing as an issue on its own, there are yet other facets to consider when touching on the issue of reading. When it comes to reading, there seems to be differing views on what constitutes a reader. Some say one can be considered a reader even if he or she reads the newspaper or magazines. Reading should not be limited to books alone.
While some others believe that readers should represent an elite group, one who is intelligent and knowledgeable, who voraciously devours any book, be it an autobiography or a science fiction.
Obvious reasons
With the debate on who and what makes a reader continues, the problem of Malaysians not making reading a preferred activity remains unsolved. If we are to make an effort to think deep, there are several obvious reasons why reading is no longer a national hobby, despite the fact that the United Nations Development Programme in its human development report in 2000 puts Malaysia's literacy rate at 87.5 percent for adults (those aged 15 and above) and 97.6 percent for youth (those between the ages of 15 and 24).
Literacy rate however refers to an individual's ability to both read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.
Among the reasons why Malaysians generally are not hooked on to reading is because of the accessibility of information on the Internet. Books are not seen as life-long companions, but serve mainly as sources of reference. The awareness that reading makes a man no longer holds ground with the layman. Reading is a pleasure only to be indulged in when one is on vacation. It is not seen as an activity that is an extension of one's everyday life.
Then there is the issue of exorbitant prices of books, especially imported ones. Second hand books in the city too tend to get "carried away" in terms of pricing. The other problem is the lack of access to libraries, especially the National Library. The lack or reluctance of public transport operators to service Jalan Tun Razak where the National Library is situated makes it an expensive trip, literally, for students especially.
The government has to ensure that libraries are located at areas facilitated by public transports. Do not make library areas exclusive spots, as they might end up posing more dangers than benefits to the users.
Also, reading should no longer be confined to studying. Reading should also not be linked to efforts to do well in examinations. Continuous emphasis must be made to distinguish between studying or learning and reading. Children should be educated on the joys and pleasures of reading. A busy academic pursuit should never be used as an excuse to keep children away from reading non-examination oriented materials.
If the government is serious in wanting to improve the reading standards of its people, it has to start from the top, with the country's leaders setting an example as avid readers. The media could start a forum to seek feedback from politicians on books that they have read and promote them to the public and vice-versa.
Instead of presenting expensive gifts as mementoes, Malaysia could take an avant-garde approach by giving away books written by local writers as gifts to officials both locally and abroad. This is yet another way to promote the works of local writers and encourage budding writers to pen down their works.
There is a plethora of ways to make reading interesting and meaningful. It all depends on the political will of the government and its priority in wanting to make Malaysia a nation of readers.
JJ RAY started her career with a mainstream publication. A non-conformist, she soon saw the barriers that went up whenever, through her writing, she tried to make the world a home for one and all.
