Book industry in Malaysia

MALAYSIAN NATIONAL BOOK COUNCIL - KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

Introduction

• The socio-economic development of the country has been the priority of the Malaysian Government since independence. After succeeding in improving the standard of living, every achievement is more meaningful if Malaysians progress, not just economically but intellectually. In other words, social engineering that is aimed at human resource development needs to be established for those who think creatively, those with a vision and mission to increase their knowledge.

• One of the strategies in achieving the above aim is to channel all the related resources so that Malaysians will always love reading. According to Tyler, Ennis, Hess and Dewey, the reading world is related closely to the writing and publishing world. Every book published should be complete with interesting and current content and supported by good publication technology. The book industry in Malaysia should be sensitive to the needs of the various levels of society in Malaysia.

• The National Book Policy was approved by the Cabinet in 1985 and was drafted to ensure that

1.	books in the Malay language play an effective role as as a tool for the development of the social and cultural mind in line with the country's needs and ambition;
2.	books are enjoyed by all levels of society in this country;
3.	people in this country have a strong interest in reading;
4.	books published in this country achieve a high standard both in content as well as in its physical form.

• The Malaysian National Book Council (MBKM - Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia) as a professional body and a national book consultant has been entrusted to implement the policy and suggestions contained in 'Dasar Buku Negara'. The Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair is one of the most important annual programmes for the Malaysian National Book Council. Its aim is to achieve the main objective of 'Dasar Buku Negara'. Among the objectives of MBKIM organising the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair are:

1.	Raising awareness on the importance of books in our daily life as a knowledge provider.
2.	Developing good reading habits at all levels of society.
3.	Advancing the publication of books and encouraging the book industry in this country.
4.	Creating a meeting point for professional groups that are related to the publication and development of books.