KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — More than 10,000 people have taken part in the Language Discovery@Selangor Public Library programme, which has offered free foreign language learning since its introduction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Amirudin Shari said the programme, managed by the Selangor Public Library Corporation (PPAS), continues to receive encouraging support and has become one of its educational initiatives benefiting the wider community.
“To date, more than 10,000 participants have joined this programme, which offers a variety of language courses free of charge. The programme has been running since the pandemic, although participants were initially charged around RM10 per class.
“The state government continues to strengthen this initiative through a RM500,000 allocation under the 2026 Selangor Budget. Languages offered include Mandarin, Arabic, French, German, and Spanish,” he said.
Amirudin was speaking to the media during his visit to the Selangor Pavilion, part of the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2026 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
In a related development, he said 3,000 individuals have benefited from the free laptop loan programme under Skim Pinjaman Teknologi Asas.
The assistance focuses on students from B40 families pursuing higher education, as well as young entrepreneurs who require digital equipment.
“In addition to laptops, desk equipment is also provided at no cost to recipients through the programme administered by PPAS,” Amirudin said.
