The Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture (MOTAC) continues to empower digital library services via the Malaysian National Library (PNM) through U-Pustaka, which was first launched in 2011.

It's  Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri reported that the registration of u-Pustaka membership has increased last year and a total of 515,477 Malaysians registered as members of UPUSTAKA by 30 October this year.

“The u-Pustaka service that offers 13.2 million free digital reading materials can be accessed at anytime and anywhere at www.u-pustaka.gov.my,” she said in a statement.

Nancy said PNM had digitalized 1.7 million pages of local contents as early as December 2019, including Malay manuscript, rare books, national books and local newspapers.

“The u-Pustaka service helps support life-long learning and improve social and economic development by providing electronic reading materials especially during the current unstable economic situation due to the spread of COVID-19,” she added.

She also hoped to promote public knowledge exchange and transmission, and to support the Jalinan Digital Negara initiative, through the U-Pustaka service.