BIDOR: Malaysians spend an average of three hours a week to read, Thais and Chinese nine hours while Indians ten, said deputy education minister Datuk Dr. Mah Hang Soon.

Comparing the amount of time Malaysians spend on reading with that of other nationalities, there is plenty of room to improve, he said after handing over books at SJKC Choong Hua 2 here.

Parents are urged to spend more time accompanying their children to read so that they can pick up the habit of reading.

Mah said schools should also organize activities to encourage students to read more.

“We have distributed more than 10,000 copies of books to 16 secondary schools and 66 primary schools in Batang Padang district to encourage students to read.

“We hope teachers will get their students to write their comments after reading a book as one way of encouraging them to read in an effective manner,” he said.

Mah said reading is not confined to books but also e-books and audio books.

More reading activities should be held at schools apart from submitting a report after reading, he added.