Turns Malaysia into a reading nation

As technology becoming more and more sophisticated, Malaysian nowadays are more likely to
indulge themselves in electronic devices during their leisure rather than flipping through printed
pages, thus leads to the dead knell of reading culture in Malaysia. Poor reading culture can be a grim
underbelly that lays below the development of a country it may lead to the dwindling in intelligence,
maturity and knowledge among Malaysians. Hence, it is crucial to turn Malaysia into a reading
nation.

Firstly, parents play an important role in establishing good reading habit in their children since
young. This is because people who reads regularly since young will see reading as their everyday
staple, so they are unlikely to abandon their daily routine of reading as they grow up. Besides,
parents should ensure their children are reading books for pleasure. Various reading materials which
are compatible to the children’s standard of understanding and interests can be recommended by
parents. When children are exposed to miscellaneous contents, they will soon discover their favorite
genre and gain interest in reading books. Moreover, parents should always let their children enjoy
reading for their own sake instead of examine children on grammar and meanings of vocabulary so
that children will not be discouraged in reading.

Secondly, schools are also obliged to contribute in the transformation of Malaysia into a reading
country. As a place for students to access copious information, school libraries should feature
different genres of books and always keep the reading materials up to date so that students will
enjoy exploring among the book aisle and be aware of contemporary issues. The environment of
school library should also be welcoming so that students can find a peaceful and undisturbed place
to read. Furthermore, school teachers should encourage students to socialize around reading. Book
clubs and reading groups enable students to interact with each other and exchange their opinions.
This can significantly enhance students’ comprehension skills and make the reading session more
enjoyable. Besides, socializing also encourage students will most likely recommend, pass and share
their favorite books to their friends, which will increase the amount of books read by students.

In conclusion, all parties have the obligation to transform Malaysia into a reading nation in order to
boost the growth of a country. Malaysians should understand that reading is not a waste of time as
it can help to increase the literacy rate and influence a person’s profession and life standard in
future.