KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed his appreciation for the extraordinary response from the people to the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) 2026, which opened today.
The presence of various levels of society, including parents, teachers, educators, students, and children, gave a clear signal that the culture of reading and knowledge-seeking still holds a special place in society's soul.
“I often emphasise that the love of knowledge should not be born because of examinations, recognition or promises of position alone.
“Because what is more important is the feeling of pleasure in seeking knowledge, or what scholars call lazzatul ma’rifah,” he said in a Facebook post.
Anwar added that the main challenge of today’s society is no longer a lack of information, but rather how to choose high-quality, beneficial knowledge.
“Let us take advantage of this opportunity to build a generation that loves reading, has a broad knowledge base, and strong human values, for the sake of a civilised and cultured Malaysia,” he said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister officiated the 43rd edition of the KLIBF, which will be held for 10 days starting today until June 7 at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre.
The book fair, which is open to the public from 10am to 10pm, is participated in by hundreds of local and international publishers, with more than 1,000 stalls.
