By Shahrum Sayuthi
EFFORTS to create a reading culture among Malaysians will receive a major boost when Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin visits the "book city" here, which will serve as a model for Kuala Lumpur's proposed book city.
At the top of Muhyiddin's itinerary during his four-day visit starting today is the launching of a Malaysian novel at the Paju Book City tomorrow.
Nyawa di Hujung Pedang (Life at the Edge of the Sword) by Ahmad Murad Nasaruddin is published by the National Translation Institute and is available in Korean.
Muhyiddin and his entourage will tour the book city and be briefed on its operations and facilities.
It is understood that the proposed Kuala Lumpur Book City, now in the final stages of being set up, is modelled after Paju.
The South Korean publishing industry can also serve as a benchmark for Malaysia.
Muhyiddin first mooted the idea of a book city in Kuala Lumpur in May last year.
He had said the existence of such a centre, catering to writers and publishers, would provide them with a platform to excel in their field.
The book city project is being handled by the Education Ministry which will gather writers, publishers and distributors under one roof to make it easier for them to work together.
A building has been identified for the centre and RM20 million has been set aside for renovations.
Muhyiddin is also scheduled to meet South Korean industry players plus join a gathering with Malaysians living here.
He will also visit the Korean Education and Research Information Service facilities and Hanam Information and Industry High School.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, will meet his counterpart, Ahn Byong Man, at the Central Government Complex, Sejongro Jongrohu.
On the final day, he will drop by at a major electronic production centre at Samsung City before paying a courtesy call to South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan.
The visit also marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Malaysia and South Korea.
Malaysian ambassador to South Korea Datuk Ramlan Ibrahim said bilateral relations between the two countries remained excellent following the establishment of diplomatic relations on Feb 23, 1960.
"This year alone, four ministers and 18 members of parliament had made official visits to South Korea," he said.
"Despite our bilateral trade last year suffering a contraction from US$15.1 billion (RM48.8 billion) the previous year to US$11.7 billion because of the global economic slowdown, there are signs of a rebound.
"For the first five months of this year, trade reached US$6.6 billion, which is a growth of 46.9 per cent compared with the same period last year."
South Korea is, at present, Malaysia's sixth largest trading partner, accounting for 4.2 per cent of trade. It is also the country's seventh largest export destination and source of imports.
There are about 300 South Korean companies investing in Malaysia, employing about 40,000 Malaysians. These companies have invested about US$30 billion in Malaysia over the years.
When Malaysia started its "Look east policy" in 1984, it sent about 60 students to universities in South Korea every year.
At present, there are about 480 Malaysians studying here, mostly in engineering courses.
