KUCHING: Good reading habits lay a foundation for informed decisions and active influence, promoting a strong knowledge base, says Pustaka Sarawak chief executive officer Japri Bujang Masli.
“Knowledge is a basic necessity for humans, and the excitement and curiosity to learn new things is natural for humankind, so reading is essential.
“If someone is reluctant to read, they will find themselves challenged in taking action due to the lack of knowledge or information to accomplish anything.
“Think of it as eating, where we need to eat to stay alive, and without knowledge and information, a person cannot function effectively,” he said, emphasising the importance of reading.
Additionally, he stated that knowledge acquisition through passive learning occurs subconsciously in society, and this could pose a problem as people could learn unnecessary or inaccurate information.
“Obtaining knowledge is also like eating; if a person consumes more junk food, they will feel full, but in the long run, it will not be suitable for the human body and can cause illness.
“That goes for passive reading; for example, it is a common perception that only Western countries are better than others like Korea, and all this is due to the lack of reading habits,” he emphasised.
Japri also urged the public, especially the younger generation, to cultivate reading habits that will prevent them from being easily swayed by current events.
“When you do a lot of reading, you will find that life will become richer and more freedom, especially in how you think.
“You will find that beauty isn’t only found in the West—sometimes, the East is even more affluent where some of the world’s oldest civilisations are in China, Egypt and India.
“You should not limit yourself and your knowledge, and by reading, you will gain independence and become a true version of yourself,” he concluded.
