He said based on a study conducted by the Central Connecticut State University, first on the list was Finland, followed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Germany, Latvia and the Netherlands.

“We are 53rd, but is still better than Thailand which is at 59th and Indonesia (60th),” he said when launching the 2017 Keningau Book Carnival (KBK) yesterday.

The text of his speech was read out by Assistant Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Kamarlin Ombi.

The carnival, which started on Oct 22 and would end on Oct 29, was jointly organised by the Sabah branch of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Keningau Regional Library,
Keningau education department, Sandapak Enterprise and PTS Publication & Distributor Sdn Bhd.

According to Masidi, the reading habit is a noble practice and should be a lifelong culture to enrich oneself in knowledge in various fields.

“A society that likes to read is a society with knowledge,” he explained.

He said such a programme should be held annually to help the government to create a Malaysian society which is progressive and rich in knowledge.