Book Village launched in Malacca
Malacca state launched its Book Village at the Botanical Gardens in Ayer Keroh, the only one in Malaysia now after the one in Langkawi, Kedah, closed last year.
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the village would house all the books brought in from the defunct one in Langkawi and membership was available for people from all over the world.
Amidst the lush green gardens, the village is like a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be discovered.
"We are confident that the Book Village will see many visitors, especially those who are passing their leisure time here.
"The aim of this project is to cultivate the reading habit among locals and also encourage book enthusiasts to come here," said Mohd Ali after launching the project here on Tuesday.
Mohd Ali said there would be some 35,000 books in the village and urged schools and institutions of higher learning to encourage students to make use of the place.
In Malacca, he said, there were 88,408 primary school students, 6,628 secondary school students and more in institutions of higher learning.
The RM1.5mil Malaysia Book Village is the 33rd such project in the world and the fifth one in Asia.
Admission is free and those who are interested in setting up a booth to sell or promote their books at the village are also welcome to do so without any charge for the first three months.
However, in the fourth month, there will be rental fees and this could be negotiated with the Book Village Foundation, which is managing the village.
Source: The Star, Tuesday April 17, 2007 By Steven Daniel
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