BANGI: A concerted effort is needed to ensure the book industry’s competitiveness at the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said producing reading materials with good quality was paramount in fulfilling the needs of the nation. “Purchasing power among the people should also be put into consideration in our efforts to create a competitive book market, thus making purchasing affordable for Malaysians. “We must also ensure accessibility of such reading materials to the people,” he said in his speech to launch the National Reading Decade (Dekad Membaca Kebangsaaan) in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today. The efforts would cover six programmes, namely, diversifying reading materials, development of infrastructures for reading, organising book festivals, reading development among teenagers and children; e-books and life-long learning.

Source: New Strait Times February 13, 2020 03:56 UTC