In a world buzzing with digital distractions and fleeting attention spans, there are those like Yusuf Mustanir who defy the norm.
His remarkable feat of reading 110 books within the year 2023 is a testament to his dedication to knowledge and the written word.
The 66-year-old, who hails from Bau, shared that reading 100 books per year has always been his goal.
For the year 2023, he added that his favourite book out of 110 books is ‘Managing Malaysia as Tun Mahathir’ by Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri, published in 2022.
What interests him about the book is that it introduced Tun Dr Mahathir from his younger days including his early involvement in politics.
“Honestly, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been my idol since my school days. To this very day, he stays as my idol not merely as a political idol but in all fields.
“He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years and second appointment for 22 months. Among issues in the book, his vision 2020, his philosophy on development. His emphasis was on human development, including freeing Malaysians from colonial mentalities, developing the rakyat attitude and mindset based on value systems, growth and advancement in their moulds and so on.
“He began the clean, efficient and trustworthy campaign as the foundation for public practice in Malaysia. The Look East Policy. His campaign he launched a Buy British Last. His manner of managing the nation needs to be exposed to the younger generation. This book should be read by all levels of rakyat to know better about Tun Mahathir.”
Physical books over Digital
Unlike the digital-savvy generation, Yusuf remains steadfast in his preference for physical books.
He stated that he always prefers the continuation of the traditional reading culture be it books or newspapers instead of reading on an online platform.
With his remarkable love of reading, how did it actually start?
According to him, his interest in reading started way back when he was just a 5-year-old boy.
He shared that during that time, his father would always bring home newspapers and magazines.
“During that age, I like to flip the papers and look through them. Seeing my interest, my father started to bring me to bookstores around Kuching once a month and would let me buy any books of my choosing.
“He would buy me storybooks which are mostly in English for me to read. At times, I will also go to the library located at the old museum to do some reading. That is where my lifelong love of reading started.”
With his experience, Yusuf believes that to instil the love to read among the younger generation, it must start from the parents. “Encouraging the younger generation to read depends on the parents.”
His commitment to this cause extends to his own grandchildren, to whom he regularly gifts books for their birthdays.
The search for good books
While finding quality books in Kuching posed a challenge, Yusuf’s commitment led him to source books from Kinokuniya Bookstore in Kuala Lumpur.
“In Kuching, you couldn’t find a grade A bookstore. It is not easy to find good books here,” he laments, highlighting the scarcity of quality bookshops here.
Though finding good books is hard here, he stated that the annual The Hills Book Fair is a great place to quench his thirst for good books.
“I never miss that book fair at The Hills. Because the books there are that of quality despite it being secondhand books.”
Adding on, he also shared that before picking up a book to buy or read, he would always read its synopsis first.
This is because he said, he had a bad experience buying books that he did not expect.
“A few months back when I was in a bookstore in Kuching, I saw this book that looked like a book on the history of Sarawak titled ‘Civics for Sarawak’. At that time, I couldn’t see its contents as it was wrapped in plastic nor could I buy it because I did not have enough cash. The book costs RM80, you see.
“So I hid the book somewhere in the bookstore and returned the next day to buy it. Going back to my car, I was really excited to read the book only to find out that the book was a Civics textbook for Form 5 students.
“For me, there was nothing special about the book despite it being priced at RM80 but I guess it was good for me also since I can learn more about civics from the textbook. So now, I read the synopsis before buying any books,” he chuckled.
Following this, he noted that his literary preferences are books that contribute to knowledge and intellectuals.
“I do not read novels because it does not contribute to the intellectual. I always prefer to read about business, biography, history, autobiography, and management instead. From there, there will always be something new to learn from.”
As an avid book lover, his bookshelf is a treasure trove of accumulated wisdom which holds precious volumes that he never parts with.
“I never give my books away because to me, it is something precious. That is why, whenever someone wants to borrow my books, I would make a photocopy for them instead of giving them my books. That way, they too would have their own copy to read,” Yusuf asserted, underlining the sentimental value attached to his collection.
All time favourite
When asked about his all time favourite book, Yusuf stated that it is ‘The Art of War by Sun Tzu, – a classic on tactical skills for war.
“Though this book is about tactical skills for war, I believe that the tactical skills can also be used by teachers in the classroom.
“Not to mention, many politicians and businessmen read this book as well,” he said while emphasising the book’s versatility.
Another cherished read is the ‘Aesop’s Fables’ which he recommends for parents teaching children about morality.
With the year 2023 ended, Yusuf shared that he is starting 2024 with a book called ‘Kamus Sains Forensik’.
“Alhamdulillah, my first book for my reading in 2024 is ‘Kamus Sains Forensik’. My target for this year will be reading another 100 books in all fields including science, engineering and others before the dawn of 1st January 2025, Insya-Allah.”
In an era dominated by digital consumption, Yusuf’s unwavering dedication to reading physical books stands out as an inspiration.
His love for reading, and learning new knowledge from the books prove that books still have a strong power in training minds and hearts.
