Perbadanan Kota Buku is officially recognised by ASEAN Records for achieving the: First Unified Digital Book City Platform to Achieve the Fastest User Growth (1 Million Users in 10 Months, October 2023 to August 2024).
This milestone acknowledges the rapid nationwide adoption of Kota Buku as Malaysia’s centralised digital ecosystem for books, publishers, readers, and literacy programmes, reflecting a significant leap forward in expanding access to knowledge, strengthening the publishing industry, and cultivating a reading culture in the digital age.
Accelerating Digital Access to Books and Knowledge Nationwide
Developed as a unified digital book city platform, Kota Buku brings together readers, publishers, authors, educators, and industry stakeholders under a single national framework. Achieving 1 million users within just 10 months underscores both the platform’s relevance and the growing demand for accessible, technology-enabled reading solutions across Malaysia.
Through strategic integration with national literacy initiatives and digital infrastructure, Kota Buku has played a pivotal role in modernising how Malaysians discover, access, and engage with books — ensuring that reading is positioned as a right, not a privilege.
Transforming Malaysia’s Book Industry Through a Unified Digital Platform
During her presentation, Puan Adibah Omar, Chief Executive Officer of Perbadanan Kota Buku, highlighted several key outcomes that illustrate the platform’s national impact:
- Access to books has reached its highest level in Malaysia’s history, driven by digital distribution and inclusive programmes.
- Malaysia now possesses comprehensive national publishing data, enabling better policy planning and industry decision-making.
- Industry players are increasingly empowered, with over 1,200 publishing-related companies actively operating within the Kota Buku ecosystem.
- A new generation of readers is emerging, with surveys showing that over 94% of respondents agreed that book voucher initiatives successfully increased reading interest among students.
- Malaysia and Southeast Asia are gaining global attention as emerging hubs in the international publishing landscape, supported by regional collaborations and rights fairs.
These outcomes reinforce Kota Buku’s role not only as a digital platform, but as a national knowledge infrastructure supporting education, industry growth, and cultural development.
A Milestone Moment of Acknowledgement
The recognition was officially presented on 22 October 2025 during the ASEAN Records Gala Night 2025, held at the Andaman Grand Ballroom, Kuala Lumpur.
The ASEAN Records achievement was formally presented to YB Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education, on 19 December 2025 during Malam Kota Buku 2025, on behalf of Perbadanan Kota Buku as an agency under the Ministry of Education, signifying the national importance of the recognition and its alignment with Malaysia’s education and literacy agenda.
Voices of Leadership
Reflecting on the recognition, Puan Adibah Omar, Chief Executive Officer of Perbadanan Kota Buku, shared:
Strengthening Malaysia’s Publishing and Literacy Ecosystem
Beyond user growth, Kota Buku serves as a catalyst for industry sustainability by connecting publishers, distributors, educators, and policymakers through data-driven insights and digital tools. Its success demonstrates how coordinated digital infrastructure can support education reform, industry resilience, and cultural continuity.
The ASEAN Records recognition places Kota Buku among regional benchmarks in digital innovation, literacy development, and public-sector-led transformation.
About Perbadanan Kota Buku
Perbadanan Kota Buku is a Malaysian government-linked organisation dedicated to advancing national literacy, strengthening the publishing ecosystem, and expanding access to books through digital innovation. Through the Kota Buku platform, the organisation supports readers, publishers, authors, and educators while promoting Malaysia as a growing regional centre for publishing and knowledge exchange.
For more information, visit: https://www.kotabuku.my/about-kota-buku
