KUALA LUMPUR: All royalties from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s latest book which focuses on reforms, fighting racism and corruption will be channelled to poor students.
Stating this at the launch and book-signing ceremony at Tsutaya Bookstores in Pavilion Bukit Jalil yesterday, the Prime Minister said he expected the book Rethinking Ourselves to generate substantial sales royalties.
“I will get a lot of royalties. I declare that every sen of the royalties from this book will be spent on poor students.
“The price (of the book) was determined by the publisher. My staff members will ensure that all royalties received will be for poor students immediately,’ he said.
The first edition of the 240-page book in English is now available at major bookstores at RM95.
It is published for worldwide distribution by Hurst London (for the UK, US and European markets), Penguin (Asia) and Hong Kong University Press (China and East Asia).
Anwar said the book was on the need for politicians to shift their mindset and think more about reforms rather than about how to cling to power.
“This book consists of my jottings during my incarceration in Sungai Buloh Prison and is dedicated to my wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“I discuss ideas pertaining to multi-racial relationships between people. This is not an autobiography and not about Anwar per se.
“In my writings, I considered the problems and challenges of fighting racism and corruption, the nature of post-colonialism and how to regain our composure and dignity as a nation.
“How can we survive these complexities and contemporary challenges? When I grew up, there was no talk of digital or energy transitions,” he added.
Anwar said he hoped that his book will change the current mindset on corruption.
“Political leaders are sometimes the last to think about change or reform and usually it is only about power.
“How can there be change? How do we make people understand that corruption is a menace that destroys (society)?
“I also admit that it is not easy because the corrupt are often very influential. Technology and machines cannot decide everything for us – they may have expertise, but they cannot decide our values,” he added.
