MELAKA: Malaysia is expected to establish an instrument to systematically measure reading habit levels and patterns among the public through the National Reading Index (IMK), scheduled for finalisation in early 2027.
National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the index, developed through the National Library of Malaysia (PNM), aims to evaluate the country's reading culture development in a more comprehensive and evidence-based manner.
He said the IMK follows recommendations from the 2022/2023 Malaysian Reading Profile Study, while the 2026 IMK Preliminary Study is currently underway to obtain empirical data on societal reading trends, challenges, and practices.
"Preliminary findings indicate that 95 per cent of respondents are active readers, with 47.8 per cent reading daily. However, the official IMK 2026 score will only be finalised after the data verification and analysis processes are complete," he said when speaking at the Perdana Reading Carnival and Melaka Book Fair 2026 at The Shore Shopping Gallery here today.
Melaka Governor Tun Dr Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam officiated the event, which was also attended by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Melaka State Secretary Datuk Salhah Salleh, who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
Aaron said the country's current reading rate stands at 88.6 per cent, with Malaysians reading an average of 16 printed items and eight digital titles, and spending about nine hours and 22 minutes a week reading.
In Melaka, the reading rate stands at 88.8 per cent, placing the state sixth among all states, he said.
In another development, he said the PNM Depositories System, fully operational since May, facilitates publishers in managing registration of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN), Cataloguing-in-Publication (CIP), and online submissions of digital materials in line with the Deposit of Library Material Act 1986.
He said that 155,395 applications for ISBN, CIP, and ISSN were recorded between 2023 and August 2026. Meanwhile, 8,651 titles involving 43,609 physical and digital copies were registered from May to August this year. Additionally, 3,216 new publishers were recorded from January to August 2026, compared to 1,873 in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Aaron said the National Intellectual Heritage Centre (MyWIN) in Bukit Jalil, currently under development, is expected to be completed by Nov 12, 2029, and will house some 2.5 million national collection items presently stored at Extra Space Sungai Besi.
The four-day Perdana Reading Carnival and Melaka Book Fair 2026, organised by the Ministry of National Unity through PNM in collaboration with the Melaka Public Library Corporation (PERPUSTAM), runs from Thursday until tomorrow as part of efforts to strengthen reading culture in line with the National Reading Decade aspirations and the vision to make Malaysia a reading nation by 2030. - Bernama
