MINUTES MEETING AND CONVEY CONTRIBUTION ON READING MATERIALS AT NATIONAL LIBRARY-PNM TOWER, KUALA LUMPUR ON 9^TH FEBRUARY, 2024. 10:00 A.M.

 

The following members were present from the National Library:

1. Mdm. Suhaila Binti Abd Rahman, Director of Corporate Service
2. Mr Mohd Shan Bin Abu Kassim, Deputy Director of Corporate Service
3. Mdm. Siti Suzani Binti Mohamed Taib, Senior Deputy Director, Collection Development Div.
4. Mdm. Anis Bin Mat Saad, Senior Assistant Director of Strategic Planning and International Div.
5. Mdm. Siti Diana Binti Dahlan, Assistant Director of Strategic Planning and International Div.

 

Also present from the Iran Embassy:

1. Dr. Habibreza Arzani, Cultural Counsellor, Iran Cultural Center KL
2. Pn Sharifah Asruha, Cultural Officer, Iran Cultural Center KL

 

1. Since early 1999, the National Library of Malaysia has had more than 30 years of bilateral relations with Iran and has so far received four (4) visits from the Iran Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

2. In 2018, an MOU was signed between the National Library of Iran and the National Library of Malaysia.

 

3. National Library express their readiness to work together with Iran Culture Centre on joint programs such as Art show, food week, poem workshops, etc. They offered to be held at the National Library, where a few halls and auditoriums could be provided. 2 (two) proposed venues (auditorium with 300 capacity and an open hall with 500 capacity).

 

4. As of now, the National Library owns 702 titles of Iranian books, most of them in Persian.

 

5. National Library has 14 state libraries and 506 rural libraries, the nearest at Kemensah Rural Library (near the National Zoo).

 

6. The National Library has had six (six) million collections until today.

 

7. National Library also offers digital services, and they have more than 100,000 pieces of digital content and 22 online databases.

 

8. The membership has reached more than 1 million and has its own production, normally 2 publications per year.

 

9. Dr Arzani's intention is to create more awareness about valid and actual knowledge from actual sources such as books, articles, magazines, and so on since we are in millennial era.

10. Dr Arzani has highlighted that we might produce two books in the near future: one is common vocabulary in Bahasa Melayu and Persian, and the other is a translation of books Malaysia Madani by His Excellency Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia.