KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — There was a sign of relief on a father’s face when he found that his last RM10 note, tucked behind his identification card, was enough to buy two books at a book sale.

That moment reinforced Jacqueline Ng’s belief that reading should not be exclusive to the privileged.

“That moment stopped me, and it reminded me of my own childhood. My family didn’t have the luxury to buy books,” BookXcess founder Ng said.

What started as a bookstore selling off-season books at discounted prices has grown into more than a retail outlet.

Over the years, it has become a bridge for those who want to read but previously lacked access to affordable reading materials.

“When I was a child, because my parents were Chinese-educated, the only reading material I had was the Chinese newspaper at home. I would read it from cover to cover.

“But in school, I often wondered why my friends knew things not taught in class. Later, I realised it came from the books they read. That’s why I made it my mission to make reading accessible to everyone — especially the less privileged,” she said.

Nineteen years later, after Ng and her husband Andrew Yap opened their first store in Ampcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya, that mission has taken on a life of its own.

Today, they run book sale events in 18 countries, built around the belief that reading should be accessible to all.

A digital world, but print persists

As BookXcess expanded, Ng observed a trend many in the industry once feared: the rise of e-books.

“The year we opened BookXcess was the year Amazon’s Kindle took off. Back then, the prediction was that people would move to e-books, but 20 years later, we’re seeing less uptake on digital books,” she said.

Instead, the real challenge comes from gadgets in general. Social media and phone apps are among the most distracting tools, Ng said, noting how easily children today gain access to devices.

“Digital books actually support physical book-reading, especially for young readers who switch between formats. We’re not competing with e-books; we’re competing with everything else on the phone,” she said.

Did the model work?

One unexpected outcome of BookXcess’ affordability-driven model is its effect on reading culture, Ng said.

“We sold all kinds of genres, but the teenager section was always the slowest to move.

“One year, it suddenly had very good traffic. Then it hit us — teenagers who were once toddlers are now grown up and still coming to us. That’s proof that what we intended with BookXcess bore fruit. We fulfilled our mission,” Ng said.

An improved reading culture

In 2005, Malaysians read an average of two books a year. By 2023, that number had risen to 24, according to the National Library of Malaysia (PNM), with 16 being physical books.

The survey also found 88.6 per cent of Malaysians identify as “active readers,” spending an average of nine hours and 22 minutes per week reading.

Of these readers, 57.7 per cent prefer bookstores, while 24.5 per cent read in cafes. ISBN registration for physical books has also risen 50 per cent year-on-year.

A 2019 Picodi survey found 76 per cent of Malaysians purchased at least one book that year, among the highest in 41 countries surveyed.

Why physical books still matter

Print offers focus, immersion and engagement that screens cannot replicate. Bookstores and libraries remain social and cultural spaces that foster discovery — a value that resonates with generations who grew up browsing BookXcess aisles and Big Bad Wolf tables.

Independent bookstores, such as Riwayat Bookstore, show that curated literary spaces matter, offering depth and connection alongside mass genres.

“I started Riwayat as a tribute to my late dad, who was a poet. I wanted to pass on his poetry to future generations. People were sceptical, but now, in 2025, the majority of my readers are Malaysians. It’s encouraging to see locals appreciate this genre,” founder Engku Roestam Alias said.

Similarly, Engku Roestam noted that the predicted dominance of digital books did not materialise. During the Covid-19 pandemic, e-books made up 80 per cent of his sales, but today 80 per cent of his sales come from physical books.

“If the demand exists for niche genres, mass genres that appeal to a wider audience will continue to thrive,” he said.

Tintabudi Bookshop, which began as a small room, has also expanded threefold as readership and demand for physical books grew. Owner Nazir Harith Fadzilah said reading among Malaysians has gained positive momentum in recent years.

“Many now treat it as an escape from gadgets; it’s become a lifestyle for some. Younger readers combine reading methods, join book clubs, and participate in discussions on social media. Even the new Kinokuniya in Pavilion saw long queues,” Nazir said.

Nazir noted current trends show younger readers prefer literature and explainer-type books covering current issues, conflicts, economy, and environmental topics.

“Physical books cultivate a reading habit and focus that digital devices cannot replicate. Digital books offer convenience, but physical books remain crucial for engagement,” he said.

A lasting memory

For Ng, the father with the neatly folded RM10 note remains a defining memory — a symbol of what the business was always meant to do.

“It was a small moment, but it captured a larger truth: books change lives when they’re within reach. Even today, I meet people whose children read because of our book sales. Our side mission was to convert non-readers — it’s easier to pick up an affordable book than one that may not speak to them,” she said.

For Ng, the early readers who return as teenagers and young adults are proof that affordable books build lifelong readers — something no gadget can replace.