KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Library (PNS) targeted 80,000 students and adults to read for 30 minutes in a campaign to promote reading in schools and libraries all over Sabah, yesterday.
PNS has collaborated with the State Education Department to allocate 30 minutes, from 10am to 10.30am, as reading time for students in schools statewide.
Meanwhile, a ‘Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes’ programme was held at PNS branch at Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here yesterday, which was officiated by Assistant Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Anita Baranting, who represented her minister Datuk Hjh Jainab Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Ahmad Ayid.
The inaugural ‘Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes’ programme was held simultaneously in all PNS branches nationwide in conjunction with the World Book and Copyright Day that falls on April 23.
In her speech delivered by Anita, Jainab said the programme would reignite the fun in reading, and hoped the programme would be held annually to promote reading among Malaysians.
She said reading had always been the key to obtaining knowledge, and there was no skill more fundamental or crucial than reading.
“Reading is a part of the learning process of various disciplines, from complex mathematical equations, human civilization history to scientific discovery and technological innovation.”
Jainab stated that she was pleased to know that the ‘Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes’ programme was inspired by the Earth Hour.
“The programme requires us to allocate 10 minutes in which we stop whatever tasks or work, in order to read as a symbol of our commitment to cultivate the habit of reading in our daily routine.”
Anita also stressed the importance of reading religious publications such as the al-Quran by Muslims and the Bible by Christians.
She added that reading must start from young, like how her parents had encouraged Anita and her siblings to read when they were young.
“When we were young, we had never conversed in Malay, only in Dusun.
“Fortunately, our father taught us ABC and how to read or else we would not have been able to catch up in school,” Anita said.
Meanwhile, PNS director Wong Vui Yin said the state library had collaborated with the Education Department to allow 30 minutes, from 10am to 10.30am yesterday, to be used as reading time in schools throughout Sabah.
“Reading is so important but people don’t put much effort into reading.”
He said the library hoped to target 80,000 to participate in the reading campaign in Sabah, including students and adults.
“We will collect feedback from schools and libraries after this. If we did not reach our target, we will create more publicity for the campaign in the future,” he said.
Wong said 12 schools in Kota Kinabalu had attended the ‘Let’s Read Together for 10 Minutes’ programme held at PNS in UTC yesterday.
They were SK Sembulan, SRK Sacred Heart, SK Sri Gaya, SK St Francis Convent (M), SK Bukit Padang, SRJK(C) Shan Tao Kota Kinabalu, SMK St Francis Convent, Kota Kinabalu High School, SM Maktab Sabah, SM La Salle, SM Stella Maris and SMK Sanzac.
The event yesterday also included recognizing PNS members who borrowed the most books at its UTC branch from December 16 last year to April 20.
Charles Abg Groda won in the family category with 61 books, followed by Nurul Azirah Mohd Zain in the teenage category and Nurul Aishah Md Zain in the children category with 70 and 46 books respectively.
A similar reading programme was held at the Nabawan district library yesterday.
District officer Fedian Gan when delivering the opening speech of Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister and Nabawan assemblyman Datuk Bobbey Ahfang Suan, said a reading culture should be incorporated in our daily lives to enhance knowledgeand the practice of lifelong learning.
“We need to emulate former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who makes reading as his practice until now,” he said.
Gan said with reading, the community could find out what was happening outside and in their own country.
He said it had been proven that the Western people who made reading a way of life had allowed them to progress in various fields.
“Hence, our society today should emulate and follow them if they want to develop in various fields,” he added.
At the event, Gan, together with the community present, read books for 10 minutes.