Anwar warns decline in reading and shallow thinking threaten civilisation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cautioned that the decline of reading culture and the rise of superficial thinking in the digital age could put the future of civilization at risk. After reading James Marriott's latest book, The New Dark Ages: The End of Reading and the Dawn of a Post-Literate Society, Anwar underscored that the issue is not the abundance of knowledge, but society's diminishing appreciation for reading, reflection, and deep thinking.

"We may be awash with information, yet bereft of wisdom. The real question is not whether people still read, but whether they still possess the desire to think," he remarked. Drawing from history, Anwar recalled the immense outpouring of grief in Paris and Saint Petersburg following the deaths of Victor Hugo and Fyodor Dostoevsky, respectively, highlighting the profound significance society gave to intellectual and literary traditions.

Both writers, though not rulers or military leaders, had ideas that deeply touched the hearts and minds of people.