ITBM - Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books)
PENA - Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (National Association of Writers, Malaysia)
BH - Berita Harian, daily Malay newspaper

For more information, contact: Mr Sakri Abdullah, General Manager, email: sakri@itbm.com.my

This book is a study of the writings of four colonial authors, Frank Swettenham, Hugh Clifford, George Maxwell (all colonial officers) and Anthony Burgess a teacher at the Malay College for Boys. Their books were written at the height of colonial British rule and although they were about Malays, Chinese and Indians they were written for colonial consumption and were not for local readers. Each author has his own section in the book and the analysis of their writings against the norms of society at the time helps explain why their stories seemed to be almost remote from the inhabitants of Malaya. This analysis by Dr Mohamad is valuable in that it gives the reader an understanding of life in Malaya in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how two communities, local and expatriate, lived parallel lives with limited social interaction.

These books will be followed by six more books to be launched over the next twelve months.

“My aim is to write a good story that children will enjoy reading,” says Heidi.

However, parents and teachers will no doubt be pleased that apart from being good stories that will get children reading, the series will also give them an insight into Malaysian history.

CONTACT: Heidi Shamsuddin <heidi.sham@gmail.com>

It is human rights education simplified for kids! And further, it’s in Malay. Teaming up with Amin Landak, one of Malaysia's finest comic illustrator, Dr Mohd Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani) has created a series of amazing educational stories from the adventurous travelogue of Yaya and Fufu.

In Buku 1: Jangan Cakap Begitu (Book 1: Don’t Speak That Way), the emphasis is on Article 1 and 2 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yaya and Fufu fly to the corner of the world to stop racial slur and to educate the kids on being free and equal and how all of us should all be treated in the same way. With the help of old sage, Grandpa Adam, Yaya and Fufu fight human rights violation and refuse to bow down before the oppressors. Thanks to Fufu’s magic hat and Yaya’s wisdom book, now they can reassure all the kids to unite with them.

The first lesson as presented in this book is not to discriminate, to say no to bully and to respect everybody, whatever our differences. This book is rare and significant contribution in children literature genre. A book necessary for educators and parents. As childhood is recognised as a time for education, recreation, growth and discovery, human rights awareness is best to be nurtured during this time.

About the writer:
Dr. Mohd Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani) is Research Fellow at Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA), National University of Malaysia (UKM). His current research areas are in adopting a human rights approach concerning religious minorities, and Human Rights in Malay Literature. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Sharia (Islamic Studies), University of Malaya; received his MA in Comparative Literature from University Science of Malaysia, in 2000 and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA), National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2010.

About the illustrator:
Amin Landak is a well-known Malaysian illustrator and comic artist. A graduate of the Malaysian Institute of Art, he is also a committee memberof PEKOMIK, the comic society of Malaysia.

CONTACT: fird_ahmad@yahoo.com

Living pathways deals with the challenges faced by the ecosystems and way of life as many Asian nations race for first world status and ape western norms. A beautifully presented book, it is full of wonderful pictures of the environment and life in Asia.

The author spent a year travelling through Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and the Philippines visiting villages where he spoke to the headmen and villagers and spent time in universities where he talked at length with academics. He had discussions with politicians on future plans and elders on how things were in the past and how customs and communities are being threatened. Wherever he went he took many photographs and this book is filled with scenes of life and the environment.

Nadarajah’s 32 meditations link the destructive forces created by urbanisation and sustainable development that has pushed back the forests and destroyed the habitat of many small communities and endangered many of the native animals.

In meditation 21 the author expands on the topic of sustainable development from a western capitalist view point;

• it’s a human centred worldview,
• the emphasis is on growth from a capitalist market approach,
• demonstrates a relative ignorance of the need for radical change in peoples’ demands on the earth,
• it perpetuates the view that nature is merely a collective of natural resources that can be exploited by human beings, and
• a faith that all environmental problems can eventually be solved by technology.
  

These articles are stipulated in the national development policies of many Asian nations and he continues in following meditations to discuss the consequences of sustainable development on small endangered indigenous communities which are part of the identity of a nation but have been marginalised by the increasing focus on development, consumerism and destruction of their habitats.

This is directly followed by a dissertation on the key differences between the Western way of life and the Asian way and how Western lifestyles and beliefs threatens Asian values. He focuses on the way spiritualisation impacts local communities and how they live in harmony with the environment. They live in integrated family systems where there is respect for the elderly and where consumption is not king.

__________________________
M. Nadarajah has spent his life working on the interconnected
issues of communication, process development and
management, culture, spirituality and sustainability. He has
written several books on these issues: Another Malaysia is
Possible and Other Essays: Writings on Culture and Politics for
a Sustainable World (2004) and his co-edited book Urban Crisis:
Culture and the Sustainability of Cities (2007) are noteworthy
contributions. He earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, in 1993.

Authors: Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Ahmad Shahar Nasarah
Published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka

Children’s traditional games are one of the national treasures inherited from long ago. The games are passed on verbally from one generation to the next. Only a few remain in existence today. The uniqueness of the games can be seen through the patterns, game rules, materials used, and the dialogue in the games. The games display a high level of creativity and imagination among the players. This series is a collection of 100 types of children’s traditional games. Each title is complete with the background of each game, game rules, including ways to determine the winners, the voting system, and the glossary with specific terminologies. This guidance series is developed for the use of educators, librarians, researchers, and scholars of cultures.

Titles in this series:
RAM-RAM RIP, RANGKAI-RANGKAI PERIUK (POTS CHAIN),
DA DA KO, DATUK HARIMAU (GRANDPA TIGER),
JARUM MAS (THE GOLDEN NEEDLE),
CAK LERANG BENANG MAS (WEAVE THE GOLDEN THREAD),
TEBANG, TEBANG TEBUK (CUT DOWN AND BORE),
CONGKAK LUBANG SEPULUH (10-HOLE CONGKAK),
TINGTING GULA BATU (HOPSCOTCH),
GELEK TEMPURUNG (ROLLING THE COCONUT SHELL)

This series of books was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, at the Malaysia pavilion.

CONTACT: Nor Aida <noraida2@dbp.gov.my>

Author: Rumaizah Abu Bakar
Published by Silverfish Books
Number of pages 208
ISBN 9789833221509
Year of Publication 2014

'A Call to Travel' recounts the travels of the author, Rumaizah Abu Bakar to several Muslim countries, specifically Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. In each of these countries, she did the tourist thing and visited museums, mosques, old buildings and went shopping. In Saudi Arabia she performed the hajj at Mecca and it was interesting to read of her experiences as the hajj is an important event in a Muslim’s life but shrouded in mystery for non-muslims.

What others say:
“The delicate sensibility of these stories endow them with a gentle honesty.”
Colin Thubron, award winning travel writer and novelist

“The stories are delightful shapes of time that leave an impression that life is very real yet elusive, shifting between transience and permanence. The reader can choose to observe and ponder, or travel and disappear in the stories.”
Isa Kamari, novelist, essayist, musician and playwright

“If you’re looking for the frenetic, the jangling, the adrenaline-filled tales of so much modern travel writing, you’ve come to the wrong place. To travel with Rumaizah Abu Bakar is to voyage into a world of the quiet and understated, a place where wonder unfurls in fine delight under a gracious and appreciative eye.”
Carl Hoffman, author of Savage Harvest (2014 NYT bestseller)

At the Frankfurt Bookfair 2014, Malaysian author and illustrator Emila Yusof met with contributors for her planned book — a collection of stories of princesses from different countries. After sifting through more than twenty stories, a list of 13 countries was finalised and the book was ready to be showcased at the Frankfurt Bookfair 2015.

The publisher, Oyez!Books used a different approach to promote the book. Instead of showing one cover, the books were printed with 10 different covers and languages and displayed at the Malaysia pavilion where they attracted a lot of attention.

This was in line with the idea behind the book which was to present multi-faceted stories of princess characters that typically girls love. It followed the success of Emila Yusof’s first book of princesses,  Legendary Princesses of Malaysia, written by Malaysian author Raman.

Faiz Al-Shahab of e-Sentral (Xentral Methods) was one of the speakers at the Frankfurt Book Fair's Forum Production in Publishing featuring innovation from Asia.  
 
In his talk, Faiz presented the eBook rental facility via Bluetooth beacon technology, a partnership effort between Malaysia Airports and e-Sentral (Xentral Methods).
 
This facility which consists of 40 ebook beacons strategically placed at locations of KLIA is the first of its kind in the world. It enables passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to download ebooks for their travels and during waiting time.
 
This smart facility which works on principles of geo-fencing location targeted technology operates via a Bluetooth beacon signal that communicates with the passenger’s smart phone application allowing them to access a special virtual library of ebooks for borrowing.
 
Currently, travelers in KLIA have a choice of more than 400 ebook titles at anytime ranging from all sorts of categories in English, Malay and Mandarin, and a maximum of two titles to borrow at anytime for two days.
 
Once the ebook is downloaded, the passenger can use the eBook without the need of Internet.
 
CONTACT: Faiz Al-Shahab <faiz@e-sentral.com>