The bookstore, located in KL East Mall here, is offering 200,000 books of various genres over three days from yesterday.

Bernama spoke with several people waiting patiently for their turn, all of whom had one thing in common: they still prefer reading physical books over digital formats.

University student R Vishal, 19, said while the world, including his peers, is increasingly inclined towards digital reading materials, he still chooses physical books as he feels calmer, more comfortable, and less distracted while reading them.

“Many of my friends prefer e-books or just reading the summaries of books on social media, but I prefer physical books. Printed material helps me understand the content better,” he said.

Private sector employee Tan Xiao Ren, 39, said he wanted to find suitable reading materials for his two children, aged seven and four, to encourage them to pick up the reading habit at an early age.

“Parents today face the challenge of kids being addicted to gadgets. I feel it’s necessary to introduce them to books that can not only help them develop critical thinking skills but also expand their knowledge,” he added.

Lecturer Sophie Yusof, 46, believes that, when promoted properly, physical reading materials and reading culture will always have a place in society.

“Malaysians actually love initiatives like this, but we don’t get many such offers. If more were organised, such as membership programmes that allow the public to buy books at cheaper prices, I believe more people would be interested in reading,” she said.

And media studies lecturer Mohamed Shamil Hizamie Mohamed Norhisham opined that the bookstore’s initiative could attract more people to start reading, especially those who cannot afford to buy books.

As for the younger generation, “we need to be more creative in order to encourage them to read”, he noted. “The fact that book fairs are packed proves there is already a group of book lovers; but we should focus on expanding reading culture to everyone, not just a small segment.”