'Jom Kita Bincang!' exhibition highlights how books can shape young minds

'Jom Kita Bincang!' features two exhibitions and a 'Swedish little library' at the Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam, where visitors can learn about how sustainability, health, and social issues can be furthered through children’s literature. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah

Reading is a vital life skill – there’s no way you can survive in modern society without being able to read.

Global trends, however, have shown that literacy levels are in decline. Take, for example, Malaysia’s performance in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa): Malaysian students scored 388 in reading literacy, dropping 27 points from our 2018 score, with less than 50% of them reaching the minimum level.