KUALA LUMPUR: ‘Telaah’, a discussion and analysis session of books and works through audio broadcasts, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2025 (PBAKL 2025) yesterday, will be expanded in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said he has discussed with the Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, and the programme will be expanded to a wider audience, involving students, lecturers, teachers, and schoolchildren to foster a love for reading.
“’Telaah’ is an initiative borne by the Prime Minister, who is indeed known as a book lover and a leader with a scholarly spirit. In all his speeches, there will surely be quotes from prominent figures and important books that enliven discourse and enlighten the minds of the people.
“’Telaah’ is not just a programme, it is a movement to revive the interest in reading, the culture of book discussions, and intellectual discussions based on knowledge,” he said in a Facebook post today.
The first episode of ‘Telaah’ last night featured the Prime Minister as a special guest, discussing four important works namely “Kemiskinan Melayu dan Jalan Kepulihannya” by Za’ba, “Jejak-Jejak di Pantai Zaman” (Prof Diraja Ungku Abdul Aziz), “Islam dan Sejarah Kebudayaan Melayu” (Prof Diraja Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas), and “Islam dan Melayu: Martabat Umat dan Daulat Rakyat” (Datuk Dr Siddiq Fadzil) from his personal library.
To embrace the development of digital technology, Zambry said an online book review competition will also be held so that people from all corners of the country can participate.
“Our aspiration is clear: to create a nation that not only reads, but reads with understanding and understands with the spirit of building.
“I hope ‘Telaah’ becomes a platform to revive the culture of knowledge. From the highest leaders of the country to the grassroots of society, ‘Telaah’ belongs to everyone. Insya-Allah, we’ll meet in the next episode of ‘Telaah’ after this,“ he added.
‘Telaah’, initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), is a contemporary platform that supports the nation’s grand aspiration to cultivate a discourse based on reading and transforming the passion for knowledge into a national practice.
Airing once a week on an online platform, ‘Telaah’ brings together scholars, writers, and the general public in open discussions that foster a deeper understanding of various societal and civilisational issues, in line with the aspirations of Malaysia MADANI.
