Three booksellers’ interest groups said the involvement of the National Book Council (MBKM) in “Dropee Bookuku Digital” would likely force schools and government agencies to buy from the online platform instead of traditional booksellers and stationers.
MKBM was formed under the auspices of the education ministry in 1968 to encourage the reading habit and develop the book industry.
The Malaysian Book Contractors Association, the Malaysian Booksellers Association and the Federation of Malaysian Stationery and Booksellers Association want the council out of the platform to ensure an equal playing field.
“As it is, our industry is facing many challenges during this Covid-19 pandemic. MBKM is not helping us but doing the opposite to jeopardise the whole book industry.
“MBKM’s involvement will surely convince schools and government agencies to purchase from Dropee.
“This is indirectly an abuse of power to give an unfair advantage and to suppress the existing free and open competitive market.
“While our industry is ready to embrace digitalisation and e-commerce, the involvement of MBKM as a government agency in Dropee is unacceptable,” the groups said in a statement.
The groups said if nothing is done, this will likely kill the book trade ecosystem, with thousands of micro-book dealers, distributors and runners losing their jobs.
“Free market bookselling must continue to prevail to maintain the book ecosystem in Malaysia.
“Any direct interference in the book ecosystem will have a negative impact on Malaysia’s economy as a whole,” they said.
Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Stationery and Booksellers Association vice-president Guan Swee Leong said the online platform endorsed by MBKM had asked traditional booksellers to join in but doing so would force them to part with a large chunk of their revenue.
He said they were asked to agree to part with 20% of the sales revenue so as to support the development and operating cost of the platform.
“Other platforms only charge us less than 3%. How was this 20% rate decided?
“MBKM must answer,” he told FMT.
Guan said if all schools are forced to source books from Dropee, all the traditional bookshops will suffer.