Food delivery worker's son tops Selangor's library charts with 1,378 books borrowed
SHAH ALAM: A 13-year-old student from Klang has been named Selangor's most prolific book borrower, having checked out an extraordinary 1,378 books over the past year.
Alif Zachary Mohd Arif, who studies at SMK Telok Gadong, received the accolade during the Jom Baca Bersama 10 Minit 2025 reading carnival at the Raja Tun Uda Library here today.
The five-day event, which began on April 18 and concluded this week, celebrates and promotes reading culture throughout the state.
The son of a food delivery rider, Alif has been a regular at the Sungai Udang Public Library in Klang — located just 30m from his home — since he was 6, describing it as his "second home".
He said his love of books started early and quickly became a daily habit.
"After school, I usually take a short rest and then read. At night, I continue after finishing my homework," he told reporters at the event.
His dedication earned him RM1,000 in prize money as the top borrower in the children's category.
Alif, who hopes to become a science teacher one day, said he finds comfort and clarity in physical books.
"It's easier to absorb the information and share it with others. Being an only child, I spend more time with books than playing with friends," he added.
In the adult category, retail manager Nik Hasrol Hafiz Hashim, 39, was honoured after borrowing 674 books last year, receiving RM1,500 in prize money.
He said reading was central to family life at home.
"We don't have a television and we limit screen time for our kids, who are aged 5 and 2. Some of the books I borrow are for them," he said.
The carnival, now in its 12th year, is organised annually by the state government and managed by the Selangor Public Library Corporation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
‘Upin' and ‘Ipin' in line for Aidiladha sacrifice
SHAH ALAM: Upin and Ipin will be sacrificed for Aidiladha today. No, not the lovable comic characters – these are two premium Limousin cattle, weighing 780kg and 800kg respectively. Upin and Ipin are among 22 gigantic cattle to be sacrificed at the Tayyib Ranch Qurban Carnival at Shah Alam Stadium. Tayyib Ranch managing director Mohd Sakhedan Sidek said Upin and Ipin, which were sold to different buyers for RM20,000 and RM26,000, will be slaughtered tomorrow The Limousin is a French breed of beef cattle from the Limousin and Manche regions of France. Heavy-muscled cattle from other premium breeds such as Brahman, Charolais, Blonde and Black Angus will also be slaughtered at the event. 'The cattle, aged between three and four years, were brought in from Kelantan and Terengganu. 'They weigh between 700kg and 1,000kg and are priced from RM10,000 to RM45,000 each,' he told Bernama. Mohd Sakhedan said demand for such cattle continued to rise each year, for sacrificial rites performed by Muslims during Hari Raya Aidiladha. 'Huge cattle are preferred for their meat yield and superior quality, making them ideal for distribution to the underprivileged as a valuable source of nutritious food,' he said. Mohd Sakhedan said a total of 100 cattle will be slaughtered over a continuous 48-hour period until tomorrow. 'We have also received approval from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department to perform prayers at the carnival site, followed by a communal feast,' he added.
Focus Malaysia
a day ago
- Focus Malaysia
Little girl goes viral for RM1 mil birthday party: Rolex, new car as presents
FOR most people, the perfect birthday celebration may involve a simple cake and a group of friends singing the Happy Birthday song, badly too. But for some people, a birthday party perhaps is more than just the celebration of one's existence on this planet. It is the perfect opportunity to announce to the Joneses about your financial wealth. Here in a recent viral video, a girl was treated to a RM1 mil birthday party. And what does she get for her presents? A large Apple monitor worth probably a month of an average employee's salary. As though that was not enough, she further received a Rolex watch. What would a little girl do with a Rolex watch? Use it to smack her barbie doll during a particularly heated tea drinking session? To top it off, she even received a brand new car for her birthday although she is likely one decade away from the legal age to drive. This is a party on another level. And of course the netizens who watched the video had much to say about it. '1 juta je mama mampu'🗿 — YB PH 🍉 (@PejuangPH) June 1, 2025 'Believe it that groups like these still enjoy subsidies meant for the poor such as the RON95,' said @PgjSyafiq while @xuhaily pointed out that her child should be ashamed of such a mother. 'Just RM 1 mil. Other people's children spent tens of millions for their children's birthdays. The mother already knows she is poor. Why did she upload it,' said @xuhaily, hinting that their peers should be far wealthier. According to netizen @geroqkk, the mother was smart to buy a car for her child. Since the child could not drive it, the mother gets to use it instead. Also, @feiruzieakapie claimed it was purchased in the name of the child so her assets could not be confiscated later. Then there was @Mas_Bingung_ wondering why the inland revenue board had not bothered to investigate her on the grounds of tax evasion. Another netizen said that regardless of how wealthy she was, apparently she did not have a wine cellar in the basement. 'The Kelantan folks have a budu cellar,' said @sixty90 jokingly, in reference to the stinky anchovy sauce famed in the east coast of Malaysia. The most pertinent comment likely came from @naszieqwayne who warned that if big, expensive gifts were given to the kids when they were young, they would expect bigger and better ones in the future. 'Be prepared. Even their friends would not have what it takes to give those big presents and so they too will distance themselves,' he said. —June 3, 2025 Main image: @PejuangPH (X)
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Actress Saidah Kamarudin cancels wedding, claims ex has only RM500 in bank account
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian actress Saidah Kamarudin has revealed the reasons behind her decision to call off her engagement to fellow actor Muhammad Muntazar Ghufran in October last year. The former couple became engaged in May 2024, following a year of dating. In a recent interview, Saidah, 29, cited financial instability as a primary factor in her decision to end the wedding plans. She claimed that Muntazar, 22, had only RM500 in his bank account. "You should be looking for a job or continuing your studies," she lamented. The actress further alleged that following their breakup, Muntazar hacked into her TikTok account and posted fabricated comments under her name in an attempt to damage her reputation. It's understood that Saidah filed a police report at the Setia Alam police station in Shah Alam, Selangor, on May 31. "When Muntazar and I were still together, we shared the passwords to our social media accounts. After we broke up, I changed my passwords and removed all access." Meanwhile, Muntazar has refuted Saidah's claims that he was unable to afford their wedding. The actor explained that he told her he had additional funds invested in unit trusts. "I told Saidah about it, but she told me that's investment savings and not actual money. If it's true that I have only RM500 in savings, how is it possible for me to pay close to RM1,000 monthly for my car while also giving my family around RM1,000?" he argued.
