Groups of women and girls, books in hand, gathered on the steps of an event space at Semua House in Kuala Lumpur today for the first monthly session of Kelab Perempuan Membaca (Women’s Reading Club).
The initiative, launched at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair in June, was also officially recognised today as Malaysia’s largest reading club.
Organised by Perbadanan Kota Buku (Kota Buku), an agency under the Education Ministry, the hour-long session drew about 150 participants in person and another 100 online.
This month’s theme, “Women and Nation”, was chosen ahead of Independence Day on Aug 31 and aimed at exploring the relationship between women, leadership and nation-building.
During a 15-minute reading session, participants - including Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and students from Sekolah Seri Puteri Cyberjaya - sat quietly reading books they had brought or borrowed from a booth at the venue.
Several later shared their thoughts on their chosen books.
Fadhlina (above) brought Zaharah Nawawi’s 1,351-page novel “Anugerah”, which centres on two women and their struggle for acceptance in Umno during the country’s independence era.
Hoisting the hefty book onto one shoulder, she joked that it could double as workout equipment and suggested it might be Malaysia’s longest novel.
"I read this book while I was studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
"It took me three months to finish this novel. It was gifted to be by my late father and was written by one of my favourite Malaysian writers," she said.
Women’s role
Fadhlina said the club’s recognition as the country’s largest reading club was more than a symbolic achievement, reflecting women’s role in placing knowledge and reading at the centre of nation-building.
“When we talk about women reading, it is not just about reading itself, but about how reading forms part of the national development agenda,” she said.
She said the programme, which was her brainchild, was intended to foster a mass reading movement among women and girls and form part of the wider National Reading Movement.
Against the backdrop of a world increasingly dominated by digital technology, Fadhlina stressed the importance of empowering women through books and cultivating the habit from an early age across generations.
"This is the foundation for everything: building a household (as well as) developing individuals and the community.
"After this, we shall try to do this in villages and invite our aunties and grandmothers to read with us," she said.
She also called for more works documenting the experiences and contributions of Malaysian women leaders to be produced as references and inspiration for future generations.
The monthly meetings will feature different themes, with members encouraged to share reading materials related to each subject.
Nationwide expansion
Kota Buku CEO Adibah Omar said the club now has 4,701 members.
"We believe that if we want a futuristic, progressive, and developed Malaysia, everything begins with girls and women," she said in her opening speech.
Adibah said the club would be expanded nationwide in response to interest from women who were unable to participate because they lived outside the Klang Valley.
“If there are parties interested in working with Kota Buku to organise the programme in their respective states, let us know. We are opening the door as wide as possible so that we can work together to build a nationwide community of women readers,” she said.
She said the programme would also be extended in the coming months to include schoolgirls from other states.
"We will create as many spaces and opportunities for us to collectively develop groups of female readers throughout the country," she said.
Speaking at a press conference later, Adibah said books available at today’s event were on loan from the Kuala Lumpur Library.
She said organisers were also mindful of the challenges faced by mothers in taking part in such activities and had made arrangements to facilitate their participation.
"We know that many mothers must take care of their children, so we prepared a place for mothers to leave their children, taking inspiration from New York mayor Zohran Mamdani," she said.
The next session is scheduled for Sept 19 at a venue to be announced, with the theme “Perempuan dalam Sejarah” (Women in History). - Mkini
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