KUALA LUMPUR: Some 450 weekend visitors at Pasar Datuk Keramat here took home New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) newspapers today.
Issues of the New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro were offered in bundle deals of RM4, which also included complimentary bottles of Himalaya Anti-Dandruff shampoo.
NSTP circulation general manager Prakash Munusamy said the initiative was aimed at advocating and inculcating the reading culture in Malaysians, especially the younger generation.
"The reading culture has begun to fade in our tech-savvy society. They (the youth) claimed to have switched to digital reading. However, scrolling through social media is not an accurate way of obtaining news.
"Bringing back the (reading) culture will make it a trend again," he said at the street sale of the three publications here today.
Other than Pasar Datuk Keramat, hotspots such as Masjid Jamek Light Rail Transit station and KL International Book Fair at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur were also chosen by the NSTP for the street sale of the newspapers.
Prakash said the NSTP planned to continue supplying newspapers to schools, primarily Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM), as well as hotels and hospitals.
"We're slowly catching up with the sales objective. We're hopeful that the event will encourage more physical paper readers," he said.
Market-goers said there was a need to reinculcate the reading habit.
"We have to bring back the reading culture," said Mohd Rosdi Abd Razak.
"It is difficult to find newspapers at gas stations and grocery shops. Newspaper contents are different from Internet news.
"News should be obtained from reliable and accurate sources, and newspapers are the best place to get it, " said the 60-year-old.
"I would like to congratulate the NSTP for promoting the reading habit among Malaysians."
Another NSTP reader, Muhamad Fadhil Marjali, 27, said newspapers should continue to be published.
"People tend to stay focused when reading newspapers and the details are much more precise than reading online news.
"Newspapers are the best choice to obtain daily news," he said.
Another NSTP reader, Nor, 46, said NSTP publications were always packed with educational information.
"I used to bring home newspapers for my children and let them do the exercises in the education section.
"It is heartbreaking to see Malaysians relying on online news and social media to get the latest updates."
A total of 3,000 issues of NST, BH and HM were snapped up by readers during the street sale.