Malaysian Reads

 Assalamualaikum 

It’s the year 2024. It’s school holiday. It’s the time of the year when the Pesta Buku Antarabangsa is held. Again, it was held in Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) as usual. 

I used to go there chauffeured in a van, get a priority treatment by the publishers, and was treated good food by the host that brought us there. That was during the days that I frequent the PBAKL on a mission to search books for the library. To select the suitable books for the students. Later, after finishing our task, we were given a short time to shop books for ourselves. It was a wonderful experience, and I always grab the opportunity when invited.

I forgot when was the last time I went to PBAKL with the children. I think it was only once. The hectic and crowded places is just not ayah’s ground, thus, he avoided it. So do we. But the children were normally sent to join their cousins in this book spree.

This year, I decided to go there with Kak Ngah. I am free as a bird, she was on semester’s break, so let’s hop on. We went there by LRT. Took a grab which cost me RM16 to Subang Jaya station, we joined the crowd on the LRT to Masjid Jamek, and change for another direction to Gombak Timur. Yessss …. I got a seat throughout the journey. In fact, I was asleep half of the journey …hahaha … well, i am a makcik pencen...

Arriving there at about 11am, there were too many people to tell. I was lucky that Sabrina lead the way. I simply follow her path. How things changed. Once, they were following me, but today, I am following them ;-)

We managed to grab few books. They were books that I have been looking for a long time. Yes I can get it online, but flipping through the books, looking into the pages before deciding to purchase it gives some satisfaction (perhaps because I am an oldie).

Food. That should be our next hunt. And again there were too many people even at the Sunway Mall nearby. I performed my solat, and we decided for not a cheap meal. We had no choice. Alhamdulillah, with Allah’s gracious we are able to do that.

On our way home, we can see people going home with books in their hand. Most of the visitors to the PBAKL will at least buy a book. Some came in trolley bags too. I was made to understand that they are the PS (personal shopper); good, they are creative enough in generating income.

  

As we were going home, my thought goes ….. “WHO SAID MALAYSIAN DO NOT READ”

or is it “MALAYSIAN ARE GOOD BUYER”?

So, what do you think? Which is a better statement?

Wassalam.

Cioa.