Kuala lumpur: The one-stop digital platform u-Pustaka under the National Library of Malaysia (PNM) is offering more than one million online reading materials for free to the public, in an effort to ensure accessibility to reading materials for all segments of society. National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang announced the initiative, highlighting that the public can access various digital materials including e-books, e-magazines, e-newspapers, audio books, e-learning, and e-journals anywhere and anytime.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, u-Pustaka has recorded 2,985,170 bibliographic entries with 1,014,356 digital collection titles, alongside providing 22 digital databases for public use. Databases such as Overdrive, Alkem Digital Library, Mason Crest, Emerald eBook, JGate, Lawnet, Odilo, and MyGuru are included, making u-Pustaka a comprehensive and easily accessible virtual knowledge store for all Malaysians regardless of background.

Aaron emphasized that the initiative not only expands the reach of reading materials but also strengthens national unity through the sharing of knowledge, values, and understanding among communities of various races, religions, and cultures. Meanwhile, he noted the government's efforts to instill a reading culture among the people continue to show very encouraging results, as the Reading Profile Study recorded a significant jump in the reading rate of Malaysians.

In 2005, the average citizen read only two books a year. Ten years later, the number increased to 15 books, and in 2023 it rose again to 24 books per year. Of that number, an average of 16 books were read in physical form while the other eight books were read online. Aaron added that the latest study also reveals that 88.6 per cent of Malaysians are now active readers, a proud achievement that proves the impact of the government's ongoing policies and initiatives in strengthening the knowledge ecosystem in the country.