'Read Malaysia' to cultivate reading habit among Malaysian youth

KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry will come up with a 'Read Malaysia' campaign to cultivate the reading habit amongst Malaysian youth.
Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it is important to encourage Malaysians to develop the reading habit from young.
"Reading habit must be cultivated from young. And I know it is difficult, even with my children. My eldest son is 8 now and I have to force him to read. I often tell him playing games is fun, but you have to read. If you wait until they are 16 or 17 to get them to read, it may be too late," he said at a book review organised by Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semananjung (GPMS) at Borders, the Curve.
He added the programme will be launched as soon as possible and perhaps with the collaboration of relevant parties like the National Library and Education Ministry.
Khairy said students who just study their course work and textbooks to excel in their studies do not reflect knowledge.
"A complete study must include books in the reading list as well."
Khairy also quoted the popular statistics that Malaysians on average read only two books per year and said this has to change.
"Whenever issues come up, there will be 'overnight experts' online. This is because of the 'google-lisation' of knowledge. People read Wikipedia, and think they are experts. But that is just an entry. One needs to understand the context," he said about issues that are often sensationalised online.
In the book review, Khairy revealed that his second son is autistic and the book Uniquely Human has helped him understand his son better.
"I have never talked about this before. My second son is autistic and this book helps parents with autistic children understand them better," he said emotionally.
"Children with autism are a lot like us adults. We get nervous, agitated and insecure and so do they due to sensory overload. But we know how to handle it and they don't. Instead of forcing them, we should calm them down."