How to improve Scholarly Book in Malaysia? >> Bagaimana nak majukan buku ilmiah di Malaysia?

To make Scholarly Publishing more meaningful in Malaysia, the stakeholders (Minister of Higher Education, University Presses, Scholarly Publishers and scholarly authors) must adopt and apply my suggestions below:

1) Malaysian Book Academy - publisher's staff must be professional by traning and thinking. This academy can also acts as publishing industry think-tank and the early adopter of latest technology

2) The licensing of photocopy activities - Photocopying is a free-for-all activities in Malaysia. Outside the gate of university campuses, photocopy shops mushrooming and offer pirated textbook for sales. Government must make a bold move to licence these operators. Make them to pay at least some royalty to original publishers while doing some photocopying (but not the whole book please!)

3) One common Marketing arm for university presses (MAPIM) - currently the sales and marketing for MAPIM publications are scattered and les organise. They must have single clearing house to promote, market and sell their publications.

4) Strategic Cooperation with big commercial publisher - when you can't beat them, just join them. Cooperation with MOU between scholarly publishers with commercial publishers will benefit all. MOU can touch on content exchange, expertise, marketing channel and lots more.

5) Tax on imported book & subsidies to local publishers - Local publishers who are willing to publish scholarly books are awarded grant or subsidies to pursue their activities. At the same time govt must look into putting tax on unnecessary imported book. This will protect and spur growth for local books.

6) Scholarly Book Award - scholarly authors must get motivation in term of National Book Award with recognitions. If we can give Natioanl Literature awards to deserving authors, why not apply t5he same to scholarly author who can produce high quality publication.

7) Mandatory listing in the university course list - most course list in Malaysian universities proudly listed books from overseas. It is not harm to include at least one local title into the list. With this, the professors help to promote local books and students will get to know the existance of such titles.

When shall we start?