Helping them to read: A young visitor choosing a book to borrow from the Mari Membaca library kiosk at Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri, Johor Baru. -- Filepic/The Star
THE National Unity Ministry launched the Perdana Reading Carnival on Oct 4 (“October carnival to cultivate reading habit”, The Star, Oct 5; online at bit.ly/4ho65CV). Organised through the National Library, the event will be held throughout this month.
The purpose of the campaign is to get people into the habit of reading, with the hope of shaping a knowledgeable, critical, and innovative society in a world that depends heavily on knowledge.
In the 1960s, during the school holidays, my sisters would be busy reading storybooks like Tom Sawyer, The Time Machine, Robinson Crusoe, and Treasure Island. It certainly helped them improve their command of English while also broadening their minds.
Back then, practically every household that could afford it would subscribe to the newspapers – mostly Malay and English ones – which were the main source of acquiring knowledge and information other than via the radio and, later, TV. So the majority of schoolgoing children would read the newspapers. Naturally, the standard of English and Malay was at a respectable level.
And the sight of people reading books at the bus stand and on buses and trains was not uncommon in those days.
As television became more important in our lives, reading declined. And then came the Internet and the smartphone; now screens have taken over – and reading, the proper sort of reading, I believe, has declined.
The younger generation seems hooked on short videos and stories. And while people do read content online, study after study says we now lack the attention span to read anything in depth, even the news.
And don’t get me started on the weird spelling and short forms! Everything we write nowadays seems to use this strange online language – even when we’re not writing online.
We must get back the habit of reading with focus and in depth. And it begins with the young, as early as kindergarten.
Also, parents must read in front of their young children. Children pick up habits from adults. If parents have the habit of reading newspapers and books, the kids, too, will emulate the interest.
Just to cite an example: My wife is an avid reader, and I think our children are all big readers now because of her.
So let’s get reading, everyone, and help to create a more knowledgeable Malaysia for the future.
THIAGAN MATHIAPARANAM
Klang
