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269786
Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:24
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Malaysia - An e-Book Hub

A Special Report By Syamsiah Sahat KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) -- Local publishers are hopeful that Malaysia will emerge as an e-book hub in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region. The publishers’ hope is echoed by the Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry, Mukhriz Mahathir, who is keen to develop Klang Valley into an e-book hub. During the launch of the inaugural 2012 Asean e-book conference (AEC) on Dec 4, Mukhriz said the goal of becoming an e-book hub is attainable. Based on many success stories in the e-book industry in several Asian nations, including Japan and China, it is evident that digital books can generate revenue. "In 2011, China recorded e-book sales of 137.79 billion Yuan (US$22.1 billion), and Japan recorded sales of 65 billion yen (US$747.38 million). Subsequently, Japan set a target of 200–300 billion yen (US$2.3-US$3.45 billion) by 2015 with regard to e-book sales," he said. THE HIDDEN POTENTIAL "Korea has recorded an annual increase of 200 per cent in e-book sales. The Korean e-book market is worth 289.1 billion won (US$272 million)," he said. The shift from published books (pbook) to e-books has gained momentum across the world since 2007. Companies like Google, Amazon and Apple are at the forefront of cyber technology. The Kindle platform was launched in 2007. Apple introduced the Kindle platform in its phones in February 2009, and in May 2010, Amazon revealed that the sales of e-books, through its website, had accounted for 35 per cent of the total sales recorded in 2009. E-BOOK STORE In July 2009, Barnes & Noble launched an e-book store and Apple followed suit with another e-book store in 2010. The reason why e-books are popular is because people can view digital content in a number of formats. However, in Malaysia, based on the feedback received by Bernama, the e-book segment is in its infancy. Nonetheless, many players in the local publishing segment like the Malaysian National Book Council (MBKM) and the Malaysian Book Publishers Association have taken steps to boost pbook and e-book publishing activities. E-books appeal to the younger generation and are in line with the country’s ICT development. The National Book Council's (MBKM) director, Abd Wahab Ibrahim, said the Malaysian book publishing industry is worth RM1.5 billion (US$494.86 million), with 19,000 new titles published recently. "The value does not include the sale of intellectual property rights for translated books,” he said. GREAT HOPE AHEAD "With rapid development taking place in the e-publishing sector, we are optimistic that it will contribute to the economy significantly," said Abd Wahab. He also pointed out that in developed nations like the United States, 60 per cent of the readers are more comfortable with e-books than pbooks. Malaysia too will see a similar trend in the coming years. Nevertheless, he pointed out that in order to live up to the expectations of the government and the public, more books targeting foreign markets should be published and the local publishing industry should be developed. STEPS TO BE TAKEN The 2012 Asean e-book conference is one of the efforts undertaken by the government to develop the local publishing industry and to ensure that Klang Valley emerges as the leading digital book hub in the region. "The conference not only looked into the latest developments in the e-book market in the ASEAN region, but also enlightened participants on e-publishing standards (ePUB3), the current trends and how these standards are being applied," he said. The two-day conference served as a platform to exchange ideas and experiences with other publishers in Asia and the Asia Pacific region. In April 2013, the National Book Council will set up the Kuala Lumpur Trade and Copyright Centre (KLTCC) to increase the number of e-books in the market. THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE The Media Karangkraf Group is one of the leading publishers to join the e-publishing bandwagon, with the launch of e-Mall Karangkaf on Nov 15, 2012. According to the group's chairman, Hussamudin Yaakub, daily revenue of RM1,000 (US$329.9) had been recorded after the launch of the application. Until December 2012, almost 10,000 consumers had downloaded 28 magazines and 50 books offered through the application. "Looking at this development, I'm optimistic that the e-Mall will be able to contribute between 20 and 30 per cent in terms of sales by the end of 2013," he told Bernama. Hussamudin, who is also president of the Malaysian Book Publishers Association, said books sold through the e-Mall cost 50 per cent less than books sold at bookstores. These books can be downloaded through android and iOS applications. E-magazines and e-books, once purchased, belong to a consumer. If a consumer loses his gadget or if his gadget does not function properly, an application can be downloaded again. "The group is keen on digitalising more than 1,000 titles of pbooks published by its subsidiaries - Alaf 21, Buku Prima and Karya Bestari – in the next three years. "We are also planning to upload 28 magazines published by the group on emall.karangkraf.com," he said. -- BERNAMA

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