About this episode
The episode discusses the significance of World Book Day amidst ongoing book bans and the state of literacy in Malaysia.
World Book Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) dedicated to promoting reading, literacy, and the joy of books worldwide. This year it is being celebrated under the shadow of several high profile and inexplicable book bans and seizures. While Malaysia boasts a literacy rate of over 94% and the government estimates that the average number of books read rose from two a year in 2005 to 24 in 2023, many issues remain to make reading books a popular way of experiencing the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- book bans
- literacy
- reading promotion
- cultural issues
- book statistics
Keywords
- World Book Day
- literacy rate
- book bans
- reading
- UNESCO
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Places: Malaysia
More episodes of The Breakfast Grille
- Can EI Power Capitalise on the Data Centre Boom? · June 11, 2026 · 22 min
- Environment: Challenges Aside, Implementation Is Key · June 10, 2026 · 30 min
- Can Kia Rebuild Its Position in Malaysia? · June 9, 2026 · 23 min
- Do Counter-Terrorism Laws Protect or Undermine Human Rights? · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
- Can Inspace Scale Beyond Its Niche? · June 7, 2026 · 23 min
- Selkirk Sport: $100M Target, Pickleball M&A, & Why Malaysia · June 4, 2026 · 21 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Breakfast Grille podcast page.