The hunt for hidden gems and affordable titles drew crowds to a youth centre in Iskandar Puteri for “Paso Buku”, a community-driven market breathing new life into the Johor Baru secondhand book scene.
A play on the Malay phrase pasar buku, the Saturday event at Iskandar Puteri Tunku Mahkota Ismail Youth Centre (TMIYC) offered more than just a chance to scour for inexpensive reads.
For medical officer and mother-of-four Nor Diyana Sujohno, 41, it provided a wholesome weekend outing for her family.
“It was a good chance for us to explore used books; I bought several educational titles for my girls.
“I also signed up my two older daughters for an arts and crafts workshop; they were excited because they enjoyed being creative,” she said.
She felt that the market could also help to encourage good reading habits.
Nor Diyana, who makes it a point to visit bookshops monthly, noted that new books could be costly.
“Secondhand book markets like this can help to make reading more accessible to everyone, and I hope to see more of such events in the future,” she added.
In the venue, visitors browsed through tables lined with novels, comics and niche titles – some long out of print, which enthusiasts say are treasures that are often hard to come by in conventional bookshops.
Logistics officer Gan Ye Hern, 33, said the appeal of such fairs laid in the thrill of discovery.
“I love buying secondhand books because I can find some gems like library copies or books that are no longer in publication,” he said.
An avid reader, Gan also participated in the event as a vendor, selling items from his personal collection of comics and fiction books.
“I came to know the organiser through previous reading events that I participated in.
“I invited a friend along to join as a vendor, to show my support and help build the community,” he said.
Despite his busy schedule, Gan makes it a point to read before bed.
“While manning my stall, I have a book at hand and read when there are no customers.
“I also take breaks to browse other stalls to widen my reading horizons,” he said.
He hopes similar events will be organised in future as it provides an opportunity for book lovers to share their titles with others.
For some visitors, the event sparked a renewed interest in reading.
Graphic designer Zulaiha Rahim, 33, said it was her first time visiting the Iskandar Puteri youth centre and was impressed by the scale of the facilities.
“I am glad we have such spaces for programmes and activities that benefit the community,” she said.
She admitted that reading had taken a backseat as life became busier.
“I used to read regularly growing up, but adult commitments meant I eventually put my books aside.
“Seeing rows of books makes me excited about browsing and buying again.
“Hopefully I can find time to read them,” she added.
Zulaiha, who enjoys self-help, fantasy and folklore titles, said she had set a modest personal goal of reading five books this year.
“I have also been meaning to join some community book clubs to build a better reading habit.
“I know of a handful of reading clubs in Johor Baru and it is encouraging to see the reading community growing steadily,” she added.
The market also served as a platform for local creatives like interior designer Putri Nur Athierah Norhisam, 27, to showcase their work and connect with a wider audience.
She has been producing her own zines and writing poetry for the past two years.
Zines, she explained, were small-batch, self-published booklets often used to share personal ideas and experiences.
“I produce my own zines once every two to three months in small batches of about 25 copies,” said Putri Nur Athierah, highlighting that her works were priced affordably from RM3 to keep them accessible.
She said the creative scene in Johor Baru was still developing compared to cities like Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh in Perak.
“Events such as ‘Paso Buku’ help boost the community by giving us a platform to showcase our art and gain exposure,” she said.
Putri Nur Athierah also conducted workshops during the event to teach participants how to create their own zines, building on her experience running similar sessions at other local events.
Housewife Aisyah Samsudin, 37, found the market perfect for family bonding as she and her two daughters spent time “stamp hunting”.
“We were excited to see the stalls each offering their own rubber stamps and ink pads for us to decorate our journals.
“We started collecting stamps about a month ago and bring our journals everywhere,” she said.
Aisyah said she was always on the lookout for places to bring her children, such as the Sultan Ismail Library in Larkin and the Johor Public Library in Jalan Yahya Awal.
“While my young daughters currently enjoy reading comics, I prefer fiction in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.
“I still find time to read about two to three books a month, while my daughters are at school,” she added.
The avid reader also pointed out a gap in the local scene.
“Johor Baru lacks this kind of community event that is book-centric.
“Hopefully, more community spaces can be utilised for such meaningful programmes in the future,” said Aisyah.
