Bookfest 2006

At the press conference during the launch of Bookfest, which is being held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; Women, Family and Community Development parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun was quoted as saying:

“The National Library Survey in 1996 revealed that Malaysian's read about two books a year, compared to two pages a year back in the 1980s.”

Shocking? Not at all. Not to me, at least. Because I know from personal experience that many people just do not like to read the books. Why, I do not know. But I do know and agree that a person who can read but does not read is no better off than a person who cannot read at all.

Tell you what is more shocking to me. That the YB has to rely on a 10 year old statistics in an event as important as this Bookfest. Doesn't that say something about the government's seriousness in promoting a reading habit with the rakyat when no effort is made to measure the results of the previous campaigns?

Ah ... and the objective of BookFest, by the way, is to enhance the importance of learning and to encourage a consistent reading habit, in line with the Government efforts and emphasis on lifelong learning.