Vouchers feed habit of genuine bookworms

PETALING JAYA: The business of selling 1Malaysia Book Vouchers (BB1M) may be flourishing, but there are still many book lovers who are still happy to use it for its real purpose.

Hidayati Amran, 22, happily uses her vouchers to feed her reading habit.

A dedicated reader, she spends all RM250 worth of vouchers on novels for herself and story books for her siblings.

“I shot over the budget and had to fork out extra money myself,” she said, adding that the amount was not enough for a bookworm like her.

Sophia Chen, 21, recalled spending all her vouchers at a book fair, picking up more than 30 books.

“It was one of the best moments in my life, when I brought home a whole box of books without having to pay a single sen,” she said.

Matthew Ng, 19, joked that the books he bought using the vouchers might not be the kind of books the Government had in mind.

“I brought my siblings to the bookstore and let them choose whatever books they liked.

“Children’s books are usually costly and my parents are not willing to spend so much on them,” he said, adding that it made him happy to see the smile on his siblings’ faces.