KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — The government will continue to support the organisation of the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) as well as other book fairs and book publishing activities as an educational and cultural enterprise, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Prime Minister said such programmes would strengthen the reading culture among Malaysian families.

Therefore, he said the Ministry of Education through the National Book Council of Malaysia (MBKM) and other relevant agencies should make greater efforts to develop the local book publishing industry and encourage related activities.

"I also call on all members of Keluarga Malaysia to adopt a culture of reading, to create a civilized, knowledgeable society with a great personality. KLIBF is the country's largest book fair that can be a catalyst for the development of the book industry and foster a culture of reading as well as creating a knowledgeable society," he said.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of KLIBF 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (WTCKL) here tonight.

Also present were Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah.

The Prime Minister said the successful nation was one that read, and in the effort to uplift the nation, the culture of reading should be nurtured continuously.

"The development of a country also depends on its people who are knowledgeable, positive-minded, hardworking, and competitive. Knowledge can be acquired through the practice of reading,” he said.

He also called on authors, publishers and all stakeholders in the book industry to play their respective roles to produce quality books and further strengthen the industry.

He said the effort could support growth and foster the continuity of nation-building through the culture of reading.

"Our failure to maintain a culture of reading not only undermines and destroys the government's efforts to build a successful nation-state, but also 'kills' not only the book industry but also authors," he said.

KLIBF 2022 which began yesterday, is being held for 10 days housing more than 700 stalls involving almost 200 local and international publishers.

The 39th KLIBF is organised by MBKM under the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Malaysian Book Publishers Association. — Bernama