Less than six month before its 41st installation, the 2024 KL International Book Fair (PBAKL) is slapped with a controversy after small publishers said that strategic booth sites were booked before any announcement made for bookings.
Muhammad Syukri Rosli, chairman for a Kajang-based publisher Akademi Jawi Malaysia took to Facebook to vent his frustration. He revealed a copy of his email to the organizer to object the way booth bookings are organized.
"We only knew from other publishers that booth sites were opened (for booking) on 15/12/2024.
"We received the news that these sites were booked even before the date," he said.
According to Muhammad Syukri, the bookings were made by some of the participants of PBAKL who are also exco of the Malaysia Book Publishers Association (MABOPA).
"Is this a coincidence? Does not it show there's a certain group who took advantage of their position to put their interest first?"
Another local bookstore, Toko Buku Rakyat decided to pull out from the book fair as a protest.
The Committee for PBAKL 2024 released a statement on 19 December 2023 stating that the advantage of bulk bookings is available for all industry players.
"Logistical factor of booth set up requires the organizer to prioritize bulk bookings in deciding hall arrangement," it said.
PBAKL 2024 will see 969 booths, an increase of 11.7% from the 823 availble in this year's edition.
The committee vowed to rearrange the Dewan Merdeka in PWTC to allocate sites for publishers who have not got their placement.
It will also hold a dialogue session on 29th December in Cyberjaya to "ensure all voices are heard."
But small publishers said that such a statement is mere 'lip service'.
They said that the statement did not address the main concern of their objection and that the upcoming dialogue is pointless, as the outcome is 'pre-determined'.
They made five demands to the organizer.
1. To officially and openly state the important dates on slot booking so that the information is channeled fairly to everyone.
2. To officially and openly state the price of sites to avoid sudden price hike.
3. To officially and openly state how many sites are open for booking.
4. To state the difference in site prices if it is located in area with fewer visitors.
5. To state that bookings are to be made with a 50% upfront and need to pay the deposit in a time frame that must be announced earlier and openly.
But a local publisher who has been involved with PBAKL for quite some time, told me the other side of the story.
"It's the absolute right of the organizer," he said, adding that PBAKL is considered a commercial event although monitored by the Ministry of Education.
He added that while he does not know the reason behind the early offering to certain players, he believes that it has something to do with the commercial concept of key tenants, anchor tenants, and big publishers.
PBAKL, he said, started as a combination of various book fairs held by different associations.
For example, MABOPA had its KL Book Fair, universities had their academic books fiesta, and the Malaysia Booksellers Association had their own national book fair.
"All of these were combined to form PBAKL. This is why it is stated in the agreement that associations and government bodies get privileges for booth prices.
"Many new generation exhibitors do not understand the origin story," he said.
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