Executive chairman and group managing director Samuel Sum said the demand for such books in both countries had been on the up-trend in recent years.

"Prospects for Chinese-language books are good as there are not many titles available in the two markets," he told StarBiz after the company's AGM recently.

Sum said the liberalisation of the distribution of Chinese-language materials had created strong interest among the ethnic Chinese communities in Indonesia and Thailand.

For many years Chinese-language magazines, books and newspapers were not allowed to be circulated in the two countries. Currently, the publication and circulation of Chinese-language books in Indonesia is controlled by Singapore-based companies.

"We will publish the Chinese-language books at our Indonesian and Thai operations," he said.

He added that the company had set up PT Penerbitan Pelangi Indonesia and Pelangi Publishing (Thailand) two years ago in anticipation of the opening up of the two markets.

The company will offer Chinese-language children's books and general interest books in Indonesia and Thailand.

The Star

Asia News Network

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA