The Cost of Being a Reader in Malaysia

The cost of being a reader in Malaysia — Victoria Navina

Malay Mail – 10 July 2025

Photo from Medium 

JULY 10 — They say reading is free, but is it? In Malaysia, books are expensive, libraries are uneven, and access is shaped by income, infrastructure and class. The cost of being a reader isn’t just measured in ringgit. It’s measured in opportunity, inequality and culture.

How much does a book cost?

You walk into a bookstore in Kuala Lumpur and pick up an imported paperback on statistics — RM60. A historical narrative? RM115. If you’re earning Malaysia’s minimum wage of RM1,700, that’s nearly four to seven per cent of your monthly income. For one book. That’s your internet bill. Or a week’s worth of lunches. Books aren’t taxed in Malaysia, but they’re not cheap. Many are imported. That means you’re paying for printing, freight, import duties, logistics, distributor mark-ups and currency exchange. We don’t have a fixed book pricing law, so prices vary across retailers. Discounts are inconsistent, and bookstores may be operating on thin margins.

If you buy books, how likely are you to read?

Buying books can predict whether someone reads — according to a 2023 study by the National Library (PNM). Among those who bought books, 97.2 per cent are more likely to read. Among those who didn’t, only 17.6 per cent read. Put simply, access fuels reading. Without the ability to buy or borrow, many might simply stop.